The injury bug has been wreaking havoc on the Charlotte Hornets' roster as of late. With key players LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk already out due to separate injuries, Gordon Hayward has been added to the list after prematurely exiting their game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Hayward went back to the visitor's locker room at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the second period after spraining his right foot. Unfortunately for the team, he was ruled out for the rest of the second half.
The extent of his injury is uncertain as of writing.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets forward Gordon Hayward suffered a right foot sprain in the 2Q of tonight’s game against IND and will not return. #AllFly
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) April 3, 2021
It's a shame for the Hornets' star, considering he was having a spectacular all-around game prior to the injury. Hayward recorded 13 points (4-of-8 FG) eight rebounds, and six assists in 19 minutes.
Gordon Hayward's extensive history with injuries has been documented for most of his career. While he is figuring in an inspiring bounce-back season in his first stint with Charlotte, his inability to stay healthy has been troubling for the Michael Jordan-owned franchise.
The Hornets are doing extremely well this season, holding the fourth spot in the East with a 24-23 slate prior to Friday's road game. Ball and Monk's respective setbacks certainly pose challenges for their bid to return to the postseason this year.
It will be extremely hard to hold on to that spot if Hayward will also miss considerable time.
The one-time All-Star is tallying 19.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals in 43 games for the Hornets. While the team has received great contributions from its other players, no doubt Hayward has emerged as their leader and best player.
The Eastern Conference has improved greatly this year, and Hayward's health will likely determine if the Hornets will be able to keep up.
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