The New York Knicks jumped out to an early lead against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, but lost one of their young post men.
Rookie forward Mohamed Diawara left Tuesday’s game with an apparent ankle injury during first quarter action. The second-round pick landed awkwardly going for a defensive rebound and struggled to get up after the teams exchanged possessions.
Once the Knicks were able to call a timeout, Diawara required the assistance of teammates to leave the floor. The 51st pick of last summer’s draft has been in and out of the Knicks’ rotation this season and recently had a 10-point showing while playing 17 minutes in Friday’s blowout win over Portland.
Facing the woebegone Wizards, Diawara posted a strong statline before his departure, hitting both of his shot attempts (include one corner three) to score five points, pairing them with an assist and rebound each.
The Knicks have remained mostly healthy during an active six-game winning streak though Miles McBride remains out. Two-way man and similarly-built Trey Jemison III is on the bench for the Knicks, who immediately return to action on Wednesday at home against Denver.
New York led Washington 38-22 after the opening period.
[[UPDATE: 8:05 p.m. ET]]: The Knicks announced that Diawara was diagnosed with an ankle injury and that he would be questionable to return
