Hawks' DeMarre Carroll to have MRI after spraining left knee in Game 1

The Atlanta Hawks suffered a major blow in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

Hawks small forward DeMarre Carroll twisted his knee during the fourth quarter on a drive to the basket. His left knee buckled and he had to be helped off the floor, unable to put any weight on his left leg.

Carroll was diagnosed with a sprained left knee and will receive an MRI on his left leg on Thursday, according to Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Carroll is the Hawks' best wing defender and has been a consistent source of offense for Atlanta in the postseason. He leads the Hawks in playoff scoring at 17.1 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting from the field.

Without Carroll, the Hawks have little else to throw at Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James on defense. Thabo Sefolosha would have been a decent substitute, but he's out for the season with a broken leg.

The Hawks will likely turn to Kent Bazemore in Carroll's stead. Bazemore is a decent shooter, an active defender and an athletic swingman, but he falls well short of Carroll on both ends of the floor.