Your Voice Your Vote 2024

Live results
Last Updated: April 23, 10:42:16PM ET

Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz not playing for rest of summer league

ByABC News
July 9, 2017, 2:35 PM

— -- Philadelphia 76ers rookie Markelle Fultz will not play for the rest of the summer league because of a left ankle sprain suffered on Saturday in Las Vegas, the team announced Sunday.

Fultz was helped off the court after rolling the ankle in a game against the Golden State Warriors. The team said Sunday that X-rays were negative but that a lateral ankle sprain will prevent him from taking part in basketball activities for one to two weeks.

A source told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears on Sunday that Fultz was well enough to walk around and the injury is not as serious as initially thought.

Fultz also tried to reassure fans Sunday.?

Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA draft, wasn't the only 76ers player injured in Saturday's 95-93 win. Second-year guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot suffered an upper lip laceration and had to be stitched up.

"Can't feel great, a guy going down, actually two players going down on the same play," Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "Again, based on the initial diagnosis, you rather hear that than something worse."

Fultz was attempting to block a drive in the third quarter by Warriors guard Jabari Brown when Fultz jumped and landed on Brown's heel. The former Washington star had eight points in 15 minutes.

"He's a very talented young man that can create his own shot at any time and any opportunity," 76ers summer league coach Lloyd Pierce said of Fultz. "He is very confident with the basketball in his hands. I thought today was his best defensive effort. He was talking on the defensive end, had pressure on the basketball, was trying to stay within our defensive concepts. It is a challenge that he has put on himself and today was one of his best efforts by far."

The Sixers have dealt with significant injuries to center Joel Embiid and last year's No. 1 pick, Ben Simmons, over the past three years, a fact Embiid appeared to acknowledge in a tweet posted shortly after Fultz was helped off the court.

"I'm a little bit punch-drunk with the injuries that we've had with our first players selected over the years,'' Sixers coach Brett Brown said during the ESPN telecast.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk and The Associated Press contributed to this report.