Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe will miss his second straight game on Thursday due to a left thumb sprain. Head coach Jordi Fernandez said the fifth-year center has no timetable for his return.
“No timeline. [Day'Ron has a] thumb sprain. Whatever time it takes for him to feel good to play again,” Fernandez said.
Sharpe sustained the injury during Brooklyn's 126-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the team's second straight. The 24-year-old was Brooklyn's top performer during the victory.
He posted a team-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 18 minutes off the bench. The performance came after he played a pivotal role in the Nets' 23-point comeback win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Day'Ron Sharpe sidelined by thumb injury amid tank race
Sharpe posted 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals on 6-of-10 shooting in 21 minutes vs. the Pistons. He outplayed All-Star center Jalen Duren for extended stretches and closed the game over Nets starting center Nic Claxton.
Detroit demolished Brooklyn, 138-100, on Tuesday with Sharpe sidelined. Duren posted a game-high 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting in 23 minutes. Meanwhile, Claxton struggled significantly, posting just two points and four rebounds on 0-of-2 shooting in 21 minutes.
Sharpe's availability has been critical to Brooklyn's ability to compete this season. The Nets have outscored opponents by seven more points per 100 possessions with him on the court vs. off, the team's highest mark and the sixth-highest among 35 centers who have played over 1,100 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.
Sharpe's absence comes amid a tightly contested tank race. The Nets' back-to-back wins dropped them from second to fourth in the draft lottery standings. They have one more win than the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards in second and third, respectively, and two more than the Pacers in first.
Michael Porter Jr. (right ankle sprain) and Nolan Traore (rest) will also be sidelined on Thursday vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn recently shut down Egor Demin for the season due to a plantar fascia injury.
