The Toronto Raptors could miss the services of Brandon Ingram in the next few games after suffering a thumb injury against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
He sustained it in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Toronto survived with a one-point win, 97-96, courtesy of Immanuel Quickley's walk-off three-pointer.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said Ingram's status is day-to-day.
“He just sprained his right thumb. We did X-rays that came out negative. At this point, He's day-to-day,” said Rajakovic in a video posted by Raptors reporter Omer Osman.
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Ingram tallied six points, two assists, and three blocks in 11 minutes against the Hornets.
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The Raptors improved to 23-15, notching their third straight win.
Ingram is expected to be sidelined against the Boston Celtics on Friday.
With the prolific forward out, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji should see an uptick in playing time. They will have big shoes to fill, as Ingram is averaging 21.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
Despite the optimistic tone of Rajakovic, fans could still be concerned, especially since Ingram's injury history has hampered his progress. He was traded to the Raptors in February but failed to appear in a single game due to an ankle injury. Before this campaign, he only played 182 games in four seasons.
Rajakovic has repeatedly touted the importance of Ingram, saying he does not want to change the playing style of the one-time All-Star, as reported by TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg in April. Rajakovic also credited Ingram for being “a very good passer.”