Two key players to miss 1st game of tournament

The Hawks will have to take on the Bulls on Wednesday intheir first game in the NBA Play-In Tournament without two key pieces of their rotation. The team provided injury updates on for- ward Jalen Johnson and cen- ter Onyeka Okongwu, and both players will miss sig- nificant time.

Johnson exited Tuesday’s game against the Heat in the third quarter with a right ankle sprain. He had an MRI on Wednesday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, and doctors diagnosed him with a Grade 2 lateral ankle sprain. He will be re-evalu- ated in approximately three weeks.

This is the third time in the past month that an ankle sprain has sidelined John- son. He initially sprained his right ankle in the team’s game against the Cavaliers on March 8 before he returned after a three-game absence.

He sprained the same ankle March 18, which forced him to miss six games.

Johnson, 22, missed 14 games earlier this season with a left distal radius fracture, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 26.

This season he has averaged 16 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists in 55 games.

Okongwu, 23, has missed 22 games with a left big toe sprain, which first sidelined him Feb. 14 before the All-Star break. He had a non-surgical procedure Tuesday at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute. The procedure addressed ongoing inflammation in his left big toe. He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.

Okongwu has averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 55 games this season.

The Hawks have clinched at least the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and sit 1.5 games behind the Bulls after four consecutive losses. They likely will play their matchup in the Play-In Tournament at the Bulls.