Dec. 9 (UPI) -- New Orleans Pelicans guard Kira Lewis Jr. will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL and Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee.
The injury occurred during the Pelicans' 120-114 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. With 8:14 remaining in the second quarter, Lewis went up for a shot in the lane and his right knee gave out without taking any contact.
The Pelicans' medical staff immediately attended to Lewis on the floor, and he was eventually helped off the court by teammates. Lewis was able to put a little pressure on the injured leg as he walked to the locker room.
"It's hard. The hard part of sports is dealing with injuries like this," Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters Thursday. "Kira, he means so much to our team. He was starting to come into his own; I think everyone can see that. To have a blow like he has now is tough."
In 24 games this season, Lewis averaged 5.9 points, two assists and 1.6 rebounds. Over his past 11 contests, he was averaging 7.7 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.9% from the field.
The 20-year-old Lewis was the Pelicans' first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Alabama. He has averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 assists in 78 career games with New Orleans.