Bucks win; Brogdon out 6-8 weeks

Milwaukee learns it’ll be without guard for awhile, then beats the Knicks.

Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon will be out 6 to 8 weeks with a partially torn quadriceps tendon.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon has been diagnosed with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon, which according to a team announcement will keep him out for six to eight weeks.

“It’s unfortunate that he got hurt,” Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty said. “He’s tough-minded and he’ll battle through this and we’ll move forward.”

The injury happened during the second quarter of Milwaukee’s 108-89 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at the Target Center when he went up for a dunk and barely got high enough the slide the ball over the rim.

He was immediately taken to the locker room, where he was given a preliminary diagnosis of a left quadriceps tendon strain.

“At first I thought it was his knee because it felt like it just gave out when I saw him go to the ground,” said Bucks rookie D.J. Wilson, who helped Brogdon to the locker room. “He said, ‘I heard a pop’ and I automatically thought it was his knee, but helping him back to the room I found out it wasn’t his knee.

“So I was just thankful from that aspect that it wasn’t the worst of the worst when it comes to injuries.”

Brogdon later left the locker room on crutches with a stabilizing cast wrapped around his left leg. On Friday morning, he underwent an MRI and further examination by team physician William Raasch at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, which revealed the partial tear.

The reigning rookie of the year, Brogdon appeared in 46 games this season, averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes. His injury will keep him out of the Rising Stars game during the NBA’s all-star weekend, but he should be able to return in mid to late March.

While the diagnosis is a blow to the Bucks, it’s better than some alternatives. A full tear of his quadriceps tendon likely would have spelled the end of Brogdon’s season.

“I was pretty relieved when I found out it wasn’t (his knee) and it was only for a matter of six to eight weeks, which is still a long time but not as long as it could have been,” Wilson said.