Oklahoma City has had seven days to rest and heal up over the All-Star break, but there is one Thunder player that is still going to be sidelined when OKC takes on Denver on Friday night.
Darius Bazley is still out with a bone bruise in his right knee that he suffered in the Thunder’s 112-111 loss to the Boston Celtics.
The initial report was that the rookie forward would be out four-to-six weeks before being re-evaluated. It doesn’t sound like the time frame is going to be shortened any time soon.
According to Brady Trantham of The Franchise OK, Billy Donovan said at practice on Thursday that while Bazley is “able to do some stationary things at practice” such as getting shots up, “nothing has changed” in terms of his rehabilitation timeline.
On a positive note, Trantham did add that Donovan said Bazley is “doing well” with his recovery.
Bazley’s injury came in the final minute of the first quarter of the game between the Thunder and Boston on Feb. 9. While driving to the basket, he tried to Euro step past both Enes Kanter and Grant Williams. Though the broadcast didn’t show how he landed, Bazley immediately limped off the court in obvious pain.
He left the game and did not return.
Bazley had been playing well prior to his injury. In the 10 games he had played before Feb. 9, his scoring (6.0 ppg) and shooting percentage (48.6%) were both up compared to his season average.
On the year, he is averaging 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds over 52 games this season for the Thunder.
