LAS VEGAS _ Markelle Fultz, the 76ers star rookie and the overall No. 1 pick in June's NBA draft, injured his left ankle in an NBA summer league game in Las Vegas on Saturday night and had to be helped from the court.
The initial reports from the Sixers called the injury a sprained ankle.
Fultz turned his ankle after stepping on the back of Jabari Brown's foot as Fultz chased the Warriors guard in an attempt to block his shot. Fultz, who was jumping as he turned the ankle, then landed on the injured foot and fell to the floor, clutching his ankle. Fultz was helped to the locker room and had X-rays to determine the extent of the injury.
The mishap, with 8 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third quarter of the game against Golden State, happened right in front of Sixers coach Brett Brown, who was watching the game from the stands. He said in a TV interview that he felt "punch drunk" after all the recent injuries the Sixers have endured.
Joel Embiid (torn meniscus in his left knee), Ben Simmons (right foot Jones fracture), Jerryd Bayless (torn ligaments in his left wrist), Robert Covington (torn meniscus in right knee), Jahlil Okafor (right knee soreness) and Sergio Rodriguez (left hamstring strain) all suffered season-ending injuries last season.
Fultz had eight points on 3-for-12 shooting before he left the game and had been enjoying a successful summer league.
Embiid reacted right away on Twitter.
"Oh no no no.. don't do this to us," Embiid tweeted.
Sixers guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was also injured on the play, tumbling in front of the Fultz-Brown collision. He received stitches after suffering a cut on his upper lip.
Fultz had said all along this week how important it was for him to play these games.
"Anytime I get a chance to play the game, I am not going to skip out of it," he said. "I am going to try to play no matter what the circumstance. I'm going to try to play the game. It's an opportunity I don't want to take for granted, so I'm happy."
The Sixers play two more games, on Sunday against the Spurs and Tuesday against the Celtics.
