ORLANDO, Fl. — San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili was forced out of the Spurs’ 107-79 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday in the third quarter due to what the club called a “left ankle impingement.”
The severity of the injury wasn’t immediately known, and the Spurs haven’t announced whether the veteran will miss an extended period of time.
“I did not like the way he fell, and he wanted to come out,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He knew something was wrong there. So, we will see. Luckily we have a little bit of time here.”
Ginobili appeared to roll the ankle driving toward the basket with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter. The injury didn’t appear to be serious, and Ginobili left the game under his own power.
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The Spurs just completed Game 6 of an eight-game road trip, which concludes on Feb. 24 and Feb. 26 in Los Angeles against the Clippers and the Lakers after the NBA All-Star break. The extended break should provide some time for Ginobili to recover.
Fellow Spurs reserve David Lee said “the timing’s as good as it can be” for a quick return for Ginobili.
“I’m not a doctor, but he looks like he’s going to hopefully be OK,” Lee said. “I know he was a bit frustrated. Luckily, it wasn’t a two-point game and we have a break coming up. He’s an old man similar to myself. So, it will be nice to have a couple of days [off].”
Spurs backup point guard Patty Mills wasn’t sure about the severity of the injury, but he believes Ginobili left the game as a precautionary measure.
A 15-year veteran, Ginobili is averaging 7.8 points over 18.5 minutes per game this season and shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range.
“Knowing him, he’s looking after his body and making sure he doesn’t make it worse,” Mills said. “That’s a smart move he left.”
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