The Hawks are down another starter.
Kent Bazemore will miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain suffered in Saturday’s win over the Cavaliers. Bazemore left in the third quarter of the game and did not return. An MRI exam Sunday confirmed the sprain.
The Hawks begin a three-game road trip at the Pacers on Monday.
Bazemore would miss eight games in the two-week time frame before the injury is re-evaluated.
Bazemore was briefly out of the starting lineup but returned to take the place of Taurean Prince, who is also out with an ankle sprain and has missed the past 11 games.
Bazemore is averaging 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.4 minutes over 35 games this season.
In addition to Bazemore and Prince missing Monday’s game, the Hawks injury report lists guard/forward Justin Anderson (flu-like symptoms) as probable and center Dewayne Dedmon (left knee soreness) as doubtful.
In other news:
* The Hawks assigned forward Omari Spellman and transferred forward Alex Poythress to the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. Spellman has appeared in 23 games with the Hawks, including eight starts, and has averaged 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.7 minutes. There is no timetable for Spellman’s stint in Erie. He recently returned after missing eight games with a hip injury but has not played in the previous two games.
Poythress, who is on a two-way contract, has played in 17 games, including one start, and has averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.1 minutes.
* Vince Carter surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the oldest player in NBA history to lead or tie for the team lead in scoring during a game. Carter, at 41 years, 337 days, scored a season-high 21 points in 23 minutes in a 111-108 lead over the Cavaliers Saturday. Trae Young also finished with 21 points as the Hawks won for the fifth time in six games.
“I think he turned 25 tonight,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said following the win. “I don’t know what’s going on with that guy. Season-high 21 points. Comes up with a big rebound. Knocks in two free throws. Four for seven from 3(-point range). I have no idea how he does it. I don’t know what’s going on. He is amazing. Half-man, half-amazing. We needed everything that he had tonight. … That’s what you expect from any veteran. When you need someone to step up, it’s not every night, it’s not every game, but when you need someone to step up he takes that role seriously.”
Carter was 7 of 11 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and added four rebounds.
“I’m just doing my job,” Carter told reporters after the game. “I’m glad to do what I’m asked to do. When you get open shots, you want to knock them down.”
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