Not much has gone right for the Orlando Magic this season, which entered Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat with a 5-24 record that narrowly misses out on being the league’s worst. One bright spot for the team this year has been the play of Wendell Carter Jr., but unfortunately, the former first-round pick left the game due to a knee injury.
During the second quarter, Carter set a screen on Miami’s Max Strus, and while it did not appear anything particularly unusual happened, the two bumped legs and Carter was in serious pain. He tried to dive to the rim but struggled to put weight on his right leg, and after a bucket by BJ Johnson, Carter hit the deck and could not continue playing.
Carter clutched his right knee while he was on the ground, and after getting examined by Orlando’s training staff, he needed a wheelchair in order to get to the locker room.
Wendell Carter Jr. was helped off the court after an apparent knee injury
pic.twitter.com/9GV4TBAw6b
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 18, 2021
While it looked like he hurt his knee, the team officially said Carter suffered a lower leg injury.
INJURY UPDATE
Wendell Carter Jr. suffered a right lower leg injury and is out for the remainder of the game. He will undergo further evaluation. pic.twitter.com/u9KDkAuk5D
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 18, 2021
After spending the 2.5 years of his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls, Carter was sent to the Magic in the trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Windy City. This offseason, Carter and Orlando agreed to a 4-year extension worth $50 million.