The Orlando Magic took a crushing blow on Thursday, learning that star forward Jonathan Isaac will miss at least the next two months after suffering a severe sprain and bone bruise in his left knee on Wednesday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Isaac will be re-evaluated by the team in approximately two months after suffering the injury on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards.
The 22-year-old injured the knee after he landed awkwardly on it while driving to the hoop. Isaac immediately went down in pain and spent several minutes down on the court before being put onto a stretcher.
While Isaac was optimistic after the game that he avoided a significant injury, MRI results delivered the unfortunate reality of the injury on Thursday. Fortunately, he avoided any structural damage to his ligaments, which would have likely sidelined him for the season.
Isaac emerged as one of the NBA’s best defenders on the wing, averaging 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game this season. Orlando (15-19) will hope to still be in playoff contention when he returns in March. If not, the organization could play it safe and shut him down for the rest of the year.