17 seconds into his playoffs debut, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert left his first game and would not end up returning. Many were looking at Gobert to be a difference maker in the Jazz series against the Los Angeles Clippers and their dynamic trio of Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin.
Luckily for the Jazz, they didn’t need Gobert in game 1 thanks to a clutch performance from Joe Johnson. Utah escaped with a game 1 win but how much longer will they be without Rudy going forward? He could miss the entire first series, depending on how long it goes.
Shams Charania of The Vertical first reported the news of Gobert’s injury.
Utah center Rudy Gobert has been diagnosed with a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee but has no structural damage, league sources told The Vertical.
Gobert, 24, underwent an MRI late Saturday night and the injury casts doubt on his availability for the series, league sources said.
The Jazz then confirmed his injury later on.
Gobert was initially examined at STAPLES Center by the Utah Jazz medical staff and underwent X-rays on his left knee, the results of which were negative. He was then transported off-site for further magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing, which revealed no ligament damage. He has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone contusion. He will continue to be reevaluated and further updates will be provided when appropriate.
Gobert went and tweeted out the following after the game.
@utahjazz My brothers…
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) April 16, 2017
