Hawks’ Danilo Gallinari suffers right ankle sprain vs. Nets

The Atlanta Hawks’ big offseason acquisition, Danilo Gallinari, left Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets with an ankle injury.

The Atlanta Hawks started off the 2020-21 NBA season with an impressive three-game win streak. They faced their big first test on Wednesday night in the form of the Brooklyn Nets, but unfortunately, the Hawks lost a key figure off the bench and their big offseason acquisition in the process.

Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari left Wednesday’s game after suffering a right ankle sprain and would not return. This was Gallinari’s first game back since suffering a left foot contusion last week against the Chicago Bulls.

Danilo Gallinari’s return game limited by latest injury

Gallinari has only played in one game this year, and that was the aforementioned Bulls game. The veteran forward played 24 minutes that contest, where he scored 13 points on six shots while also recording 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

In his first game back with the Hawks, Gallinari was limited to just three minutes of playing time, where he scored 5 points on two shots.

This is now the second Nets game in a row where a player left due to an ankle sprain. On Monday, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair after rolling his left ankle. A day later, an MRI confirmed he had a Grade 2 sprain and would be out anywhere from 3-5 weeks.

Looking to bolster their roster around star point guard Trae Young, the Hawks acquired Gallinari from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a conditional 2025 second-round draft pick. After the transaction was approved, the Hawks signed Gallinari to a three-year, $61.5 million contract.

We likely won’t know more about Gallinari’s status until Thursday. We’ll keep you posted once more updates are provided by the Hawks.