Landale sidelined by high ankle sprain

Jock Landale will miss at least two weeks after the Hawks confirmed the center has suffered a high right‑ankle sprain and will be re‑evaluated later this month. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s dominant win in Orlando, when Landale rose for a finish at the rim and was knocked off balance by Magic center Goga Bitadze. The Australian landed awkwardly, immediately clutching his ankle in visible pain. Bitadze was first assessed a common foul, but officials upgraded it to a flagrant‑2 after review, leading to his ejection.

The setback interrupts what had been the finest campaign of Landale’s five‑year career. Across 68 games split between Memphis and Atlanta, he has averaged 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.1 minutes, shooting .515 from the field and .383 from deep. Playing on a minimum contract, he is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.