MINNEAPOLIS — As if the Utah Jazz needed anything else to go wrong.
The Jazz learned on Sunday afternoon that not only would they be without Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert that night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that they would also be missing head coach Quin Snyder and Danuel House who tested positive for COVID-19.
Then, with 5:52 left to play in the first half against the Wolves, Joe Ingles’ leg gave out and he collapsed to the court holding his left knee, crying out in pain.
As team trainers and coaches rushed to Ingles’ side, the team quickly gathered around him as he held onto his left leg and the arena was silent.
A few moments later, Ingles was helped off the court by Udoka Azubuike and members of the Jazz staff. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg and his knee had was already swollen as he entered the tunnel to leave the floor.
The Jazz announced that Ingles would not return to the game due to a left knee injury and would get an MRI in Salt Lake City on Monday morning to determine the true extent of the injury.
“I saw the replay and it doesn’t look good,” Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen said after the game. “I feel bad for him. But, hopefully it’s better than we all think.”
The team was able to locate Ingles in the X-ray room at Target Center at halftime and Mike Conley said it was difficult to see him in pain, with tears in his eyes, but that the team rallied around him and told him that he was loved and that they were all there for Ingles.
Eric Paschall started in place of Ingles in the second half against the Timberwolves.
Ingles, once held the NBA’s ironman record for most consecutive games played as an active player and has been incredibly durable through his eight-year career, never suffering a serious injury.