Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum is expected to miss three to four weeks with a fractured left middle finger, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday.
The Hornets announced that X-rays revealed Batum suffered a fracture of a finger, but the club hasn’t yet provided its timeline for how long the 30-year-old will be sidelined.
Batum suffered the injury during Wednesday’s season-opening victory over the Chicago Bulls. His finger appeared to get caught on the ball while trying to catch a pass in traffic.
Batum was held without a point in 11 minutes but had four rebounds and two assists in the opener. He is beginning his fifth season with the Hornets.
Batum spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and has career averages of 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 768 career games (711 starts).
Also, center Cody Zeller missed Thursday’s practice due to personal reasons. The club said it isn’t yet known if Zeller will play in Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.