Hornets rookie Brandon Miller leaves loss to Knicks early with sprained ankle, considered day-to-day
Miller had 11 points when he went down in the first quarter of the Hornets’ 129-107 loss at MSG
Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller left their 129-107 loss to the New York Knicks early Sunday afternoon after he rolled his left ankle hard at Madison Square Garden.
Miller caught a pass while cutting to the rim late in the first quarter and went up for a layup. As he came back down, Miller’s left foot landed directly on Knicks guard Josh Hart’s foot and rolled hard. That sent him down to the court, and he was slow to get back up.
Brandon Miller is out for the game after spraining his ankle on this play in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/6O0PPriZEz
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) November 12, 2023
Miller remained in the game for the next few possessions, but he was subbed out and went directly back to the locker room. The team then ruled him out with a left ankle sprain.
He finished the game with 11 points and three rebounds after shooting 5-of-6 from the field in 10 minutes. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has averaged 13 points and 4.4 rebounds so far this season for Charlotte.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford didn’t have specifics about Miller’s injury after the game, but he said he expected Miller to be considered day-to-day, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Clifford was hopeful that Miller could rejoin the team for their next game Tuesday night against the Miami Heat.
The Hornets struggled without Miller the rest of the way. After bouncing back and forth with the Knicks in the early minutes of the game, the Hornets fell into a 10-point hole at halftime before the Knicks rolled to the 22-point win. R.J. Barrett led the Knicks with 24 points in the win, which marked their third straight. Julius Randle added 23 points, five assists and five rebounds, and Jalen Brunson finished with 20 points.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Nick Richards added 16 points off the bench. The Hornets have now lost three of their last four games, and are now just 3-6 on the season. They’ll host the Heat on Tuesday night at the Spectrum Center, which marks the first of a five-game homestand. If Miller can’t go Tuesday, he’ll have another chance on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
