Kyle Korver to miss remainder of playoffs with ankle injury; may need surgery

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Atlanta Hawks.

Facing an 0-2 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks will have to try to climb out of it without shooting guard Kyle Korver.

Korver, who suffered a right ankle injury in the third quarter of Game 2 on Friday, will miss the remainder of the postseason, the team announced in a statement Saturday.

Korver was diagnosed with a "severe high right ankle sprain," and will see a foot and ankle specialist for further tests to determine whether he'll require surgery.

It's a crushing blow to Korver and the Hawks, both of whom are in danger of seeing landmark seasons end in disappointing fashion. Korver received his first All-Star nod in February, while Atlanta won a franchise-record 60 games before makings its first conference final.

The Hawks, of course, still have something to say about how they finish, but with the series headed back to Cleveland after two dispiriting performances, it's looking like Charles Barkley might finally be right about something.

Korver struggled in the playoffs, shooting just 39.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc - he hit at 48.7 and 49.2 percent, respectively, in the regular season - but his mere presence on the floor has always been a magic elixir for the Hawks' offense.

The threat of his shooting busts open great caverns of space, often yanking multiple defenders out to the 3-point arc, allowing Hawks big men to work one-on-one or find open cutters and shooters against a scrambling defense. Small wonder Atlanta has been 11.4 points per 100 possessions better in the postseason with Korver on the floor.

Even as he's been far from his best, uncharacteristically missing scads of open shots, the possibility of Korver going off at any time made it impossible to rule out a Hawks comeback.

Without him, the team's resilience is about to be tested in a big way.