Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha broke his ankle during his arrest in New York City and will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, according to CNN and Bleacher Report.
Sefolosha and teammate Pero Antic were arrested outside the 1 Oak nightclub in Chelsea on charges including obstruction and disorderly conduct. The arrests came after Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed outside the club. Police said the two players got in the way of officers trying to set up a crime scene and then resisted arrest. Reports say Sefolosha pushed through the crowd to check on his friend Copeland before the confrontation with officers.
According to the reports, several officers moved in to restrain Sefolosha, and he was seen limping as he was taken away. He is expected to need surgery. Sefolosha and Antic both missed the Hawks’ Wednesday night game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The loss hurts Atlanta, with the playoffs less than two weeks away. Sefolosha is one of the team’s top defenders, and the roster is already thin with Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder dealing with injuries. Kent Bazemore and Austin Daye are expected to take on more minutes.
