Taurean Prince to Be Re-Evaluated in 3 Weeks After Suffering Ankle Injury

Atlanta Hawks forward Taurean Prince suffered a left ankle injury in the fourth quarter of his team's 128-111 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

The 24-year-old will now be out for at least three weeks, per a team press release: "A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed today at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex revealed a ligament sprain, bone bruise and associated soft tissue inflammation. He'll be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate."

Prince, who is averaging 15.0 points per game, suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter.

With the Hawks down 20, Prince made a stepback three-pointer to cut the lead to 17. Unfortunately, Prince's left foot landed on the right foot of Warriors point guard Shaun Livingston on a closeout. No foul was called.

After the game, Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce expressed his displeasure on the no-call, per Graham Chapple of Peachtree Hoops:

"Livingston was underneath him. He lands on Livingston's foot. It should have been a foul, should've been a flagrant, and it didn't get called. And we got a rolled ankle and it's pretty swollen…they just missed the call and you know it's frustrating because that's a major point of emphasis in our league...it's to protect shooters when they are shooting their shot. That's the reason why it is in the rule book. To have it blatantly missed is annoying and frustrating because that's why it is in there—to protect those guys."

Moving forward, Prince should be a tough loss for a Hawks team that is already enduring a rough season at 5-19. That being said, the Hawks entered this season in clear rebuilding mode as they look to create a team around rookie point guard Trae Young.

Therefore, wins and losses pale in comparison next to building a foundation and team chemistry with the pieces in place. That will be more difficult if Prince's injury keeps him out for an extended period of time.

Pierce told reporters on Tuesday that Kent Bazemore will enter the starting lineup for Prince. The 29-year-old swingman, who was a starter earlier this season before moving to the bench, is posting 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game.

The Hawks' next matchup will be Wednesday at home against the Washington Wizards.