Milwaukee Bucks’ Larry Sanders out with fractured right orbital bone

Things really haven’t gone well for Milwaukee Bucks’ big man Larry Sanders since he got his four-year, $44 million contract extension in the offseason.

Sanders has run into trouble with the law, was injured in a bar fight and that, plus other various other injuries have limited him to just 23 games on the season. Sanders also has had trouble staying in the rotation and although he was expected to be a major part of the Bucks’ present and future, he’s playing just 25.4 minutes per game.

Now, Sanders has another injury. He suffered a fractured right orbital bone when he was inadvertently elbowed by Houston Rockets’ guard James Harden while going up for a rebound on Saturday night.

“It’s really unfortunate because the kid had been playing well,” Bucks coach Larry Drew told Charles F. Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel. “He was starting to play with a rhythm and had played two of his better games this year.”

Sanders is averaging 7.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

“He was starting to get that energy back and that fire and that passion,” Drew said. “But it’s just really unfortunate.”