Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black is heading back to the locker room against the Minnesota Timberwolves after appearing to hurt his lower back or hip in the first quarter.
Black is coming off of a quad injury that held him out for two games earlier in the week, so the Magic need to make sure he is good to go.
Black Injury Could Be Big Loss For Magic
Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black controls the ball past Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It remains to be seen if Black will return to the game, but if he doesn’t, it would be a big loss for the Magic. Although he has been struggling as of late, Black is one of the best players on the court, especially with Franz Wagner still sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
Mosley explained recently about how Black has been on the receiving end of a few bumps and bruises that have gone overlooked during the course of the season.
“He’s been dealing with that for quite some time,” Mosley said of Black’s injury ahead of their game against the Detroit Pistons on Mar. 1.
“He’s been getting bumped and hit quite a bit. And I think last game was one where it took its toll. [His absence] impacts [the team] very, very heavily. But again, for our group, we always talk about next man up mentality. Whoever gets those minutes and that nod is going to be ready to play when they step on the floor.”
When Black checked out of the game, he was replaced by Tristan da Silva, who has come in clutch for the Magic as of late. In the team’s last game against the Dallas Mavericks, he scored a team-high 19 points on a perfect 7 of 7 from the floor with four 3-pointers.
“Oh, I mean he didn’t miss a shot. I think that’s a pretty daggone [sic] good lift, and I think I’ve got to give a shout out to our bench,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of da Silva.
The Magic will need da Silva and the other role players to step up to the plate with Black possibly out for the remainder of the game. With Orlando on the first night of a back-to-back, depth will be very crucial if they want to win each game on the quick road trip.
Fans can watch the game between the Magic and Wolves on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
