Tag: Chuma Okeke

Prior to hosting the Toronto Raptors, the Orlando Magic announced that rookie Chuma Okeke will be available to play on Tuesday after missing the past 16 games due to a left knee bone bruise.

Okeke initially suffered the injury on Dec. 31 versus the Philadelphia 76ers when he tweaked his knee on a spin play. He was later seen hobbling off of the court back to the locker room and later said it was initially a pretty painful injury.

The return of Okeke comes just as Aaron Gordon is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks with a severe ankle sprain. Gordon suffered the injury on Sunday in Tampa versus the Raptors and was forced to leave the game in the third quarter.

“(Chuma) is going to play,” Magic head coach Steve Clifford said before the game. “He is ready. He has been through contact and stuff. He is not ready to play big minutes but we need him to be able to play, tonight it will probably be 12-14 minutes. It will be a way to ease him in.”

Okeke missed all of the 2019-20 season after suffering a torn ACL in March 2019 during the NCAA Tournament. He made his debut with the Magic this season and appeared in the first five games, averaging three points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.

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Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering from a torn left ACL suffered in March 2019 during the NCAA Tournament. He finally returned to the court this season but is dealing with yet another injury in the same knee.

Okeke was diagnosed with a bone bruise in the same knee that is expected to sideline him for several weeks, according to one timeline. The Magic said an MRI showed all of his ligaments remained intact and that his return to play will be dependent on his response to treatment.

The 22-year-old said on Sunday that he has only been able to lift in the weight room. The news of the injury was initially tough on him but Okeke said he is committed to overcoming this obstacle.

“At first, it was tough,” Okeke said. “But then, once I knew it was just a bone bruise, it was kinda like, ‘Okay, at least it’s just that and now we’re just going to keep on working. It’s just another obstacle.'”

Okeke suffered the injury during the fourth quarter on Thursday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He appeared to tweak his knee on a spin play and was later seen hobbling off of the court back to the locker room. He said it was initially pretty painful but that later subsided walking back to the locker room.

The 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft has emerged as a valuable contributor for the Magic. He carved out a spot behind Aaron Gordon in the lineup and is often among the first players off the bench each game. Through five games, Okeke is averaging three points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.

Without Okeke in the lineup, the Magic turned to Gary Clark off the bench Saturday in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Okeke has given the team a strong defensive option off the bench while also managing to contribute offensively, as well.

The loss of Okeke could be a big hit to the Magic should his absence linger on for several weeks but he is committed to returning to the court stronger than ever.

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Orlando Magic rookie Chuma Okeke is reportedly expected to miss several weeks with a left knee bone bruise, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The injury to Okeke is in the same knee in which he suffered a torn ACL in March 2019 during the NCAA Tournament. The Magic announced on Friday that an MRI showed that all of his ligaments remained intact and that his return to play will be dependent on his response to treatment.

Okeke suffered the injury during the fourth quarter on Thursday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He appeared to tweak his knee on a spin play and was later seen hobbling off of the court back to the locker room.

Orlando Magic F Chuma Okeke is expected to miss several weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 1, 2021

Okeke missed the entire 2019-20 season due to his ACL tear but has emerged as a key player in the Magic’s rotation this season.

The 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft is averaging three points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 18.3 minutes per game. He has carved out a spot behind Aaron Gordon in the lineup and is often among the first players off the bench each game.

The loss of Okeke figures to be a big hit to the team’s depth and will likely open the door for Gary Clark to see additional playing time. The Magic have gotten off to a 4-1 start this season and were the last unbeaten team in the NBA prior to losing on Thursday.

Orlando returns to action on Saturday vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Chuma Okeke spent much of the 2019-20 season around the Orlando Magic team facility rehabbing from an ACL tear suffered in March 2019 but it wasn’t until Friday night that he finally felt like an NBA player.

Okeke made his long-awaited Magic debut almost two years after suffering a major knee injury in the NCAA Tournament with the Auburn Tigers. The game on Friday marked the end of painstaking work to get back out onto the court, an experience he cherished.

“It felt really good out there, especially with it being my first time on the court in a long, long time,” Okeke said on a Zoom call with reporters after the game. “It was very fun. I just gotta keep working to be where I want to be at but my first NBA experience was really fun.”

Okeke recorded nine points, three rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in 14 minutes off the bench in a 116-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks. He shot 3-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, in the Magic’s preseason opener.

𝙊 – 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝙀 – 𝙆𝙀@chuma_okeke gets his first @NBA bucket. 👏 pic.twitter.com/eVaaswzgpX

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 12, 2020

Magic head coach Steve Clifford said after the game that he thought Okeke and fellow rookie Cole Anthony did some good things on the court in their first game. Okeke said he knew there are several adjustments that need to be made but just overall enjoyed his first game.

After such a long delay, Okeke finally felt like an NBA player prior to the game.

“I realized it when I was sitting down on the bench,” Okeke said. “It was like, ‘Dang, I’m really here.’ I really noticed it when I first picked up my jersey in the locker room like, ‘Dang, this is really my jersey.’ It was a good experience and, hopefully, I can just build from here.”

The preseason will serve as a great opportunity for Okeke to get a taste of the speed of the NBA ahead of the regular-season opener on Dec. 23. The Magic believe he can impact games on both ends of the floor and certainly have high hopes for him this season.

Orlando returns to action on Sunday versus the Hawks at 5 p.m. EST.

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