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Indiana Pacers rookie Goga Bitadze hasn’t played competitively since March but he recently made his first appearance during the season restart at the Wide World of Sports Complex.
Bitadze revealed on Friday that he has dealt with pain in his knee all season long but he was able to play through it. However, after returning to practice following a four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the pain worsened and he was unable to run.
My knee has been filled with pain pretty much all season but after this break, as soon as I started practicing with the team, it hurt me a lot more. I basically couldn’t run so I wasn’t doing a whole lot. I was just making sure my quads were strong enough. I haven’t practiced a whole lot so it’s kinda hard for me to get back ready to play but I gotta be ready, I gotta be professional and, hopefully, my knees will be good.
Bitadze logged 10 minutes on Thursday during a 114-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns, recording three points and one rebound. He didn’t play in any of the Pacers’ three scrimmage games so the seeding games will be key to get back into game shape before the start of the playoffs.
It was really good to be out there. It’s really hard to watch your teammates playing out there and [Domantas Sabonis] is out and you can see the team needs you. It was pretty hard for me to watch the guys. I’m really happy to be back on the court. Obviously, I can play a lot better. Game by game, I think I gotta play better and be in better shape and the game will slow down again.
Bitadze has proven this season that, when healthy, he can be a key contributor off of the bench. In 50 games, Bitadze is averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds this season. He has the ability to shoot from 3-point range and defend the paint.
Bitadze will continue to get back into playing shape during the seeding games ahead of the postseason and could help play a vital role off of the bench.
The Pacers play next on Saturday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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