Gary Trent Jr. a Late Scratch for Raptors With Left Ankle Swelling

The Toronto Raptors will be without Gary Trent Jr. on Sunday evening due to left ankle swelling. Khem Birch will start in his place

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The good times were bound to come to an end eventually.

After five straight mostly healthy games for the Toronto Raptors, Gary Trent Jr. has been scratched for Sunday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to left ankle swelling, the team announced.

It's the first time Trent has dealt with an ankle injury this season. The team has not said when the injury occurred, but Trent was shooting around pre-game before walking off the court with Alex McKechnie, Toronto's vice president of player health and performance.

Trent had been in a cold spell since returning from COVID-19 protocols last month. He's shooting 36.4% from the floor and 30.6% from three-point range over the last six outings for the Raptors.

With Trent sidelined, the Raptors will go with Khem Birch in the starting lineup. It'll be Birch's fourth start of the season and should give Toronto a little extra size against Jonas Valanciunas and the Pelicans.

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