Day'Ron Sharpe to get examined after nasty knee injury vs. Blazers, won't join Nets' flight for Paris Game

Nets backup big leaves early with a banged knee, set to take MRI.

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Another element that contributed to the Brooklyn Nets' frustrating Sunday loss against the Portland Trail Blazers is Day'Ron Sharpe's sudden knee injury.

In the postgame of their 131-127 loss, coach Jacque Vaughn revealed that Sharpe will undergo an MRI on Monday and won't join their flight to Europe for their Paris Games matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Left knee sprain. He'll get an MRI tomorrow. [Sharpe] won't travel with us to Paris. We'll see if he's going to join us in Paris."

At what point did Day'Ron sustain his injury vs. the Blazers?

Sharpe sustained the injury against the Blazers during the fourth quarter, in which he landed awkwardly and seemed to hyperextend his left knee after successfully blocking Jerami Grant's layup.

As he fell, the big man was crutching in pain and was eventually aided by the team back to the locker room. A few moments later, the Nets announced that he won't return to the ball game.

Sharpe concluded the night with a solid performance off the bench, finishing with 11 points, six boards, two assists, and a block for 17 minutes of play.

Significance of Day'Ron's knee injury to the Nets

Sharpe, 22, is in the third season of his NBA career. Throughout 36 games, he is averaging 7.4 points and seven boards while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.

The North Carolina product cemented himself as Brooklyn's trustworthy interior anchor and frontcourt enforcer in the second unit. As he is slated to be inactive for the next couple of games, the Nets would truly miss his backup presence for Nic Claxton, and coach Jacque Vaughn might run more small ball schemes with Dorian Finney-Smith at the five. Meanwhile, both Trendon Watford and Harry Giles could see a bump in their minutes to fill Day'Ron's impending absence.

The Nets can't significantly catch a break from the injury bugs this season, and this recent casualty around Sharpe is truly unfortunate in the team's interior depth.

The Nets lose a heartbreaker against the Trail Blazers 127-134