Hawks' Carroll a game-time decision Friday vs. Cavs
DeMarre Carroll will be a game-time decision for Friday's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the team's morning shootaround.
Carroll, who suffered a scary-looking knee injury in the team's Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, took part in shootaround, but his knee was heavily wrapped and he walked gingerly back to the locker room.
The starting small forward appeared to have his knee buckle on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter of Game 1. He went down in a heap of pain and needed to be helped off the court without putting any weight on his left leg.
An MRI conducted Thursday found no structural damage in the joint, with the team calling the injury a sprain.
Carroll is Atlanta's primary and most effective defender of LeBron James.
ATL can't afford to lose DeMarre Carroll for much time.
He's the only Hawks player who's been able to limit LeBron. pic.twitter.com/hJ0TxV25P7
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 21, 2015
If Carroll can't suit up, swingman Kent Bazemore is expected to draw the start, with the task of guarding James also likely falling on power forward Paul Millsap at times.
Carroll, a pending unrestricted free agent, averaged a career-high 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while converting more than 39 percent of his 3-point attempts during the regular season.