Houston Rockets centre Alperen Sengun had to leave the game against the Sacramento Kings in a wheelchair after suffering an apparent leg injury.
The incident occurred with only 39.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Sengun went up to contest a layup from Kings centre Domantas Sabonis and came down awkwardly on his right leg.
Sengun would stay down after the play, clearly in pain, and would have to be helped off the floor in a wheelchair with his head in his hands.
“Injuries are part of the game,” VanVleet said. “We all understand that when we signed up, but it’s always tough to see your teammates go down, especially the young ones who haven’t really been through it before.”
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported following the game that Sengun would undergo an MRI on both his right knee and his ankle on Monday.
Head coach Ime Udoka said that Sengun was getting an X-ray and he would "know more shortly."
The 21-year-old Turkish big man was enjoying a breakout third season in the NBA, averaging 21.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, career-highs in each statistic.
Houston is currently outside of the playoff picture looking in as they sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 28-35 record.
-- With files from the Associated Press
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