MRI scans confirm that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton suffered a meniscus tear during their 126-109 win over the New York Knicks.
A Nov. 7 win over the New York Knicks have propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to sixth in the Eastern Conference as they ride a four-game win streak.
Unfortunately, Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton will no longer be riding that winning wave with the team, as he is currently sidelined indefinitely with a meniscus tear.
After an injury to his knee endured in the second quarter, Sexton left the court on Sunday night against the Knicks. MRI scans at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health on Monday confirmed a meniscus tear in the affected knee.
The Cavaliers press release keeps Sexton’s return to the court rather vague, stating that he will undergo additional evaluation at an unspecified point and his status will be updated then.
Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton sidelined indefinitely with meniscus tear
At this point in time, the Cavaliers have only revealed the initial diagnosis revealed by the MRI, making a timeline to recovery difficult to predict.
According to Jr. NBA, if the menicus is treated without surgery or just by shaving the damaged parts of the knee, “return to activity is usually possible in about four weeks, after progressing through a rehabilitation program.”
If surgery is required to stitch together the torn menisucus, a return timeline becomes uncertain, although it certainly takes longer to fully recover from this surgery.
Past players who have endured this injury can offer some insight as to when Sexton might return.
SF Chronicle cites a 2012 study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine stating that “129 NBA players with meniscus tears over a 21-year span missed an average of 40 days.”
One notable player who was sidelined with a torn meniscus was New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson, who was injured in October and missed a total of nine weeks while rehabilitating.
Ideally, the Cavaliers can maintain their surging status while Sexton is sidelined for, at the very least, the next several weeks.