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The Boston Celtics received some rough injury news over the weekend, as forward Danilo Gallinari suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while playing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game. No timetable has been released for Gallinari’s recovery yet, but the Italian team said the veteran would miss next month’s EuroBasket tournament.
The good news is that Gallinari didn’t suffer any ACL or ligament damage, which is always a concern when it comes to knee injuries, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The severity of the tear will go a long way toward determining just how much time Gallinari will have to miss, but with the NBA regular season set to start in less than two months, Gallinari being forced to miss at least some of the season seems like a real possibility.
The injury occurred on a fast break as Gallinari received the ball as a trailer and seemed to come down awkwardly after elevating to make a pass. Gallinari hobbled over to the sideline clutching the back of his left knee, and he was ultimately led back to the locker room. You can see the play below:
“It’s tough to talk about basketball after what what we saw happen to Danilo,” Italy captain Luigi Datome said after the team’s 91-84 win over Georgia. “We wish him, of course, the best.”
Gallinari signed a new, two-year deal with the Celtics in July — a move that was lauded for adding valuable depth to a Boston team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals last season. Obviously, the Celtics will hope that Gallinari doesn’t have to miss too much time as a result of the injury.
Return timetables from meniscus tears can vary pretty widely, so it’s tough to speculate just how long the Celtics could be without Gallinari’s services. More information should be available regarding his return to action in the coming weeks.
