Saturday night was supposed to be a joyous night for young Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith. An opportunity had opened up for him with the unfortunate injury to Josh Richardson and Smith was called up for depth and to be given an opportunity after toiling in the G League all season.
The Sixers then called upon Smith to make his season debut and it lasted all of three minutes. Smith hurt his ankle, walked off gingerly, and the team then announced that he would be out for the rest of the matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished with one rebound to his credit.
Zhaire Smith has suffered a left ankle sprain and he will not return. That’s a tough break for him tonight. #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) January 26, 2020
Smith only played six games in his rookie season after suffering a Jones fracture in the offseason and then an allergic reaction kept him out even longer. The Sixers then sent him to their affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, with hopes of developing him and he worked hard to make his season debut on Saturday. It’s a shame to see it end so quickly and for his sake, the hope is that it isn’t serious.
The Sixers hold a slim 50-47 lead over the Lakers in the second quarter. [lawrence-related id=24209,24202,24182]