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During the Toronto Raptors’ Tuesday morning press briefings, Serge Ibaka admitted he twisted his ankle late in Game 5 against Boston Celtics and said he was unsure at this point whether or not he’d be able to play in Wednesday’s Game 6.
Reporters in Orlando shared photos showing Ibaka in a walking boot:
Serge Ibaka in a walking boot and is not sure he will play in Game 6. pic.twitter.com/YzDbPMNqhF
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) September 8, 2020
Ibaka injured the ankle, his left, on the opening play of the fourth quarter; he jumped to block a Brad Wanamaker floater, and came down on Wanamaker’s foot.
If there’s any room for optimism, it comes from our guy Woz:
One thing I'd point out about the Ibaka walking boot: Obviously it doesn't look good, but it's been standard Raptors protocol to put them in a boot right away regardless of severity of sprain. Doesn't mean he's out for sure.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) September 8, 2020
Ibaka is obviously an important part of the Raptors’ plans; he’s been one of the seven players Nick Nurse has been willing to trust in this series. He’s been a bit of a mess on defense at times, but he’s still the team’s only reliable bench scorer, averaging 12 points on 51% shooting in the second round so far. Given that Marc Gasol hasn’t been scoring at all, and that Norman Powell, the only other bench player Nurse trusts, is also in a slump, the Raptors need Ibaka’s offense to keep them afloat while their starters get the small amount of rest they can.
The Raptors haven’t yet submitted an official injury report; we’ll update you with further news as soon as we have it!
Update: The Raptors have officially announced that Ibaka is “questionable” for Game 6.