The Hawks were in need of some good news after losing Game 1 of their playoff series against the Heat, 115-91, on Saturday. The Hawks had trouble with Miami in Game 1 partly because of their lack of size after Clint Capela went down with a hyperextended knee during the Play-In Tournament.
The Hawks initially believed Capela would be out for at least a week before getting his knee examined again, which would happen when the series shifts to Atlanta in Games 3 and 4. However, the Hawks received the excellent news that Capela’s MRI was clean and showed no further damage to his knee.
Here’s a look at Clint Capela doing some physical therapy.
Nate McMillan says he doesn’t have a specific timeline for how long Capela will be out, but he will definitely be out for Game 2. pic.twitter.com/OkV1RsRAd4
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) April 18, 2022
The good news kept rolling after Travis Schlenk, general manager of the Hawks, revealed that Capela “restarted strength exercises and will be re-evaluated on Friday” when he appeared on 92.9 FM The Game.
Capela’s return could swing the pendulum towards Atlanta with his ability to patrol the paint on both ends of the court. The Swiss center finished the regular season, averaging 11.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
