Partizan: Thompson Has No Fracture, but a Severe Hip Bruise
Partizan said after an examination that Ethan Thompson has no fracture, but the bruising around the hip bone, muscles and nerves is severe. The night before, Partizan beat Baskonia 80-66.
Ethan Thompson spent just seven minutes on the court Wednesday night. He landed awkwardly on his hip in the first half, never returned, and was seen walking with difficulty after the game against Baskonia. Today Partizan revealed what the examination showed.
In a statement, the club said:
“The examination established that there is no fracture, but that as a result of the fall he has a severe bruise in the area of the hip bone, muscles and nerves. Therapeutic treatment began immediately, and the situation is being monitored day by day.”
So Thompson broke nothing, but the club is describing a severe bruise.
What do we know about the hip injury?
The descriptions differ from source to source. The club lists the hip bone, muscles and nerves. Mozzart Sport, as relayed by Kurir and Sport klub, writes about a severe contusion of the hip and back. According to the same source, an MRI and further scans will show the exact extent of the injury, so there is no serious talk yet about how long he will be out.
Sport klub points out that Thompson has raised his level of play considerably in recent weeks and found excellent shooting form, so the injury came just as he was putting together better and better performances.
Will Thompson play against Zadar?
He will miss Saturday’s ABA League trip to Zadar, and the sources agree on the direction, if not on the wording: Mondo writes that it is certain he will not play, Kurir that it is almost certain, and Sport klub that it is highly likely. Next week’s EuroLeague double round is also in doubt. Whether he will recover in time, nobody knows yet.
How did Partizan win?
On Wednesday, November 11, Partizan beat Baskonia 80-66 for its sixth EuroLeague win of the season. Coach Joan Penarroya says defense decided it: the team raised its intensity in the final quarter and only controlled the rhythm of the game once it tightened up on that end.
The win came despite a long list of absences. According to Mondo, Lamar Stevens and Kyle Allman sat out with colds, and Derrick Willis was also missing. Luka Vildoza and Tonye Jekiri returned from injuries. In the previous EuroLeague game, against Maccabi, Vildoza took a blow to the arm in the first half and missed the second, and it took him a week to come back. Partizan now hopes for the same scenario with Thompson, but his case still has to be clarified by scans.
Right after the game, Penarroya admitted that the guard’s condition worries him:
“We had a lot of problems with injuries in recent days. And now Ethan too.”
On the team’s mentality, he said:
“That’s the job, we have a good mentality, and that is necessary for every game. Every team in the EuroLeague is good. Baskonia will cause problems for many.”
Who is coming back, and who is still waiting?
Derrick Willis is expected back next week. Kurir reports that Partizan is still waiting for information on the condition of Kevarrius Hayes, while Arena Sport says his recovery is on an upward path and that he could appear on the court as soon as next week. Chris Silva is still waiting for his debut.
The first real test for the shortened bench is Saturday, November 14, when Partizan visits Zadar in the ABA League, this time without Thompson.
