NETS DEVASTATION
RISING STAR LeVERT SUFFERS GRUESOME LOWER LEG INJURY
MINNEAPOLIS — Caris LeVert’s breakthrough dream season likely came to a nightmarish end Monday with a gruesome leg injury that left him in a local hospital and his Nets teammates in tears.
LeVert’s right leg bent and snapped just above the ankle during the Nets’ 120-113 loss to the Timberwolves. And while the young guard who has overcome so much was taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital — and no official word of his status was given — the Nets are bracing to lose their best player for the rest of the season.
“Our only thoughts are with him. Nothing else matters. The game doesn’t matter [right now]. That’s it,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.
With just 3.7 seconds in the first half, LeVert contested a shot by Josh Okogie. He got tangled up with the Minnesota guard, and as they tumbled to the court his right leg appeared to bend and snap.
LeVert immediately sat up- right for a moment with his face in his hands, then sank back down in pain. A stretcher was brought out immediately and the Nets players surrounded their teammate, all with their hands over their faces.
“Devastating to the team. He’s such a good kid. ... As athletes we’re all human like everybody else. Everybody was down,” said forward Jared Dudley, who held no illusions about LeVert returning this season.
“Going down with that injury, it’s a tough blow for your team. But it’s a good thing we have a good medical staff and good doctors here, so he can come back ... I expect him to bounce back and be back here next year ready to go.”
LeVert (10 points, five rebounds, four assists) has emerged as a needed cornerstone, and garnered early All-Star buzz.
But all that looks to be shelved for the rest of this season — at least — with a stomach-turning injury that had teammates crying and onlookers comparing it to similar injuries suffered by Gordon Hayward and Paul
George, who tweeted his support and told LeVert to reach out to him.
“He’s the heart and soul of our program,” Atkinson said. “Really tough blow.”
“Injuries like that have an impact on your career. It has an impact on your day-today. It’s not a small injury. We’re praying for him and wish him a speedy recovery,” said D’Angelo Russell, who couldn’t stomach the sight. “I saw right away what it was and tried to erase it from memory as soon as I could, but it doesn’t work like that. It’s something that hurts. It’s hard to speak about.”
The Nets — already playing without center Jarrett Allen (illness) — fell behind by 11 in the second half as the game got away. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 for Minnesota (5-9), while Jeff Teague added 24 and Derrick Rose 23.
Russell finished with a season-high 31 points, a career-high 9-of-15 from deep. Spencer Dinwiddie and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each added 14. Hollis-Jefferson got his first career start at center while Dinwiddie fouled out after picking up a technical with 5:33 left as emotions predictably frayed.
LeVert had come in averaging a team-high 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and had been the Nets’ top defender.
In short, he’s indispensable.
LeVert already has been through so much. On Easter of his sophomore year of high school, he and his brother found their father, Darryl, dead on the living room floor. Then foot surgery at Michigan caused him to fall out of the lottery.
That operation was performed by Nets’ team orthopedist Martin O’Malley at Hospital for Special Surgery. Now LeVert has another injury to overcome.
“You could just feel the emotions of everybody. Guys were crying. It was really just that horrific to see,” Joe Harris said. “The circumstances of everything, the type of person Caris is and what he’s been for our team ... you’re heartbroken and you’re overwhelmed with emotion.”