LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Phoenix reserve guard Isaiah Canaan had surgery Thursday to repair his broken left ankle, the Arizona Republic reported, and the Suns expect him to make a full recovery from a horrific injury that shocked the NBA.
Suns General Manger Ryan McDonough told the newspaper Canaan should be fully fit for training camp next season.
McDonough said he was with Canaan Thursday before his surgery and the player “was in good spirits.”
Canaan slashed for a layup in the waning seconds of the first quarter of the Suns’ victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Phoenix on Wednesday night.
He tangled with Dallas’ Wesley Matthews and came down awkwardly, his left leg twisting underneath him, leaving his foot cocked at an unnatural angle.
Canaan remained calm as he was tended to by medical staff and taken off on a stretcher, but the injury clearly shocked his teammates and opponents.
Players from around the NBA took to Twitter to offer support and well-wishes for his recovery.
McDonough said he was struck by Canaan’s composure during the ordeal.
“He was just very matter of fact,” McDonough said. “I think he was in a little bit of shock.”
Dallas veteran Dirk Nowitzki got a close-up glimpse of the unsettling injury.
“I was right there and they obviously called a foul and I heard somebody scream,” Nowitzki said. “I turned around because I thought maybe Wes was upset because maybe they called a flagrant.
“And once I turned around, I obviously saw (Canaan’s) foot and you just get sick to your stomach.
“For a young guy who is competing for a spot and wants to make it in this league, that’s heartbreaking. That took the air out of the building for sure.”
© Agence France-Presse