Celtics’ Danilo Gallinari Suffers Knee Injury in FIBA Qualifying

The 34-year-old has been ruled out of next month’s EuroBasket tournament, but it remains unclear how much additional time he’ll miss.

Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari was diagnosed with a torn meniscus after suffering an apparent knee injury in Italy’s FIBA World Cup qualifying game against Georgia on Saturday.

The Italian national team announced the diagnosis on Sunday, confirming that Gallinari had not sustained any damage to his ACL or ligament damage. The team did not provide a recovery timeline for the 34-year-old, but it did say that he would miss next month’s EuroBasket tournament.

Gallinari appeared to sustain the injury after receiving a bounce pass in the lane during Saturday’s game. He grabbed at his knee and limped to the sideline and eventually back into the locker room with the help of a staff member and a teammate.

⚠️ Official medical report: meniscus lesion. I won't play #Eurobasket in my home town.

— DANILO GALLINARI (@gallinari8888) August 28, 2022

Gallinari signed a two-year deal via the midlevel exception with the Celtics in free agency this July after spending the past two seasons with the Hawks. He was expected to be a crucial depth piece for Boston as the team looks for a return to the NBA Finals. 

A first-round draft pick by the Knicks in 2008, Gallinari has journeyed around the league during his NBA career. The Italian forward has averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in stints with the Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers, Thunder and Hawks.

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