The Toronto Raptors could once again be without their plus-minus stud and best team defender. Patrick Patterson left Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter with a left knee contusion and will not return.
Patterson only recently returned from a pair of absences due to a strained left knee, so obviously this is concerning. The Raptors are almost surely playing it cautious with anything around his knee – he’s been playing under a rough minutes restriction – so there’s probably no cause for alarm until further information is available Saturday or Sunday.
Before exiting, Patterson recorded one block and a missed three in seven minutes. The starting lineup has been functioning quite well with him alongside Jonas Valanciunas, although the Raptors were down a point when he left.
With Patterson shelved, the Raptors will be forced to go smaller against Magic bench units and lean on Pascal Siakam, the first power forward off the bench Friday, and Jared Sullinger, who played well Wednesday but is yet to be used against Orlando. It also throws both the starting lineup for the third quarter into question and their lineups to start the second and fourth.
Hope for the best here, folks. The Raptors can ill-afford another injury on top of DeMar DeRozan with how they’ve been playing.
