On the brink of elimination, the Toronto Raptors will reportedly be without one of their most important shotmakers Monday.
Per ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps, “Fred VanVleet says he won’t play tonight, says he’s taking it day by day from here.”
Fred VanVleet says he won’t play tonight, says he’s taking it day by day from here.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 25, 2022
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The Raptors guard suffered a left hip flexor injury in Toronto’s 110-102 Game 4 win. It happened in the second quarter, and thankfully the MRI didn’t reveal anything “too major.”
That said, VanVleet was visibly upset after the injury. As he seemingly knew that it would be the end of his night as he walked straight to the locker room.
Fred VanVleet rips his jersey in frustration. Seems like he walked straight to the locker room after taking the foul to stop play. pic.twitter.com/zrCC2VCvTE
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) April 23, 2022
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Over the first four games of the series, VanVleet is averaging nearly 14 points per game and 6.3 assists on 35 percent shooting from deep.
The All-Star hasn’t quite been himself entering the playoffs. After averaging 22.8 PPG for the Raptors in the regular season, most of his numbers are down; and he had already been dealing with a knee issue.
Now Toronto is without a proven three-point threat as the Raptors head back to Philadelphia for Game 5.
Hopefully, Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes is able to return to the starting lineup. But, he’s also dealing with an ankle injury that’s limited him a bit.
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