The Chris Copeland stabbing early Wednesday morning in New York City was a brutal affair for both the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks.
The Eastern Conference-leading Hawks announced Thursday night that swingman Thabo Sefolosha is out for the remainder of the regular season and Playoffs, after suffering serious leg injuries during his arrest stemming from the brouhaha.
INJURY UPDATE: Thabo Sefolosha will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, after suffering leg injuries in New York yesterday.
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 9, 2015
Sefolosha has a right broken fibula and ligament damage—footage of the chaotic incident shows several NYPD officers violently restraining the 30-year old and placing him in handcuffs, along with teammate Pero Antic.
Per the AJC:
“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation. Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason.”
The fibula is the non-weight bearing bone of the leg that runs between the knee to the ankle joints. […] Sefolosha returned to play seven games after he missed 23 games with a right calf strain before the incident. Sefolosha, who did not play Wednesday, also missed two games with the flu earlier in the season. The Hawks were 16-10 in games in which he did not play.
Sefolosha, 30, was charged with one count of resisting arrest and one count of disorderly conduct and has a court date of June 18. […] Sefolosha, one of the Hawks’ top wing defenders, played 52 games after being acquired in the offseason from the Thunder. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.
