DeMarre Carroll suffers brutal knee injury in Game 1 (Video)

May 20, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) reacts after a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

DeMarre Carroll went down with a scary knee injury in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals.

DeMarre Carroll could very well be the reason that the Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the 2015 NBA Playoffs. However, an injury in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals may very well end his contributions to the Hawks going forward.

Late in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Carroll went for a drive as he and the Hawks tried to claw their way back into the game. He pulled up lame and went down to the floor in a heap:

The fact that this is a non-contact injury certainly doesn’t bode well for him and neither does the way his knee simply looks as he cuts into the lane before going down.

Unsurprisingly, Carroll left the game after the injury occurred and the mood in Phillips Arena palpably changed.

Carroll has been huge for the Hawks in these playoffs, carrying them on both ends of the floor. They’re going to miss his fearlessness on both ends of the floor if the injury is as serious as it appears.

More specifically to the Eastern Conference Finals, they are going to miss Carroll on the defensive end in terms of stopping LeBron James. No one man can truly fully stop LeBron from doing his thing on a basketball court, but Carroll is a guy who can at least half-way dictate James’ performance and give the Hawks more of a chance in the series. If he’s out, that could be the death-blow for the Hawks just as the series is getting starter.

More from Atlanta Hawks

Home/Atlanta Hawks