Bitadze is really harmful! Landale was pulled down by him, resulting in a high ankle sprain: at least two weeks out.

On April 3 Beijing time, the Hawks officially announced that center Landale has been diagnosed with a high right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.

Landale was injured in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's win over the Magic. At that time, he jumped up intending to dunk or layup, and was pulled down by Magic forward Goga Bitadze using his shoulder. Landale landed on his right ankle in a twisted position, immediately showing obvious severe pain.

The referee initially called a common foul, but after review, upgraded it to a Flagrant Foul 2 on Bitadze and ejected him directly.

This is a heavy blow for Landale—he was having his best career performance in the 2025/26 season. Playing for the Grizzlies and Hawks this season, he appeared in 68 games averaging 22.1 minutes, 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, with shooting percentages of 51.5% FG, 38.3% 3PT, 63.5% FT.

This five-year NBA veteran is currently on a minimum contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

According to Hawks reporter Brad Rowland, although the Hawks haven't officially announced Landale's season is over, there are only 10 days left until the regular season ends on April 13. Based on the team's recovery timeline, it's highly unlikely he will play in the Hawks' final 5 regular-season games.

The good news is, the hot Hawks continue to perform strongly recently, winning 17 of their last 19 games, currently sitting 5th in the East with a 44-33 record. If they can secure a top-six spot to directly qualify for the playoffs, Landale will get more recovery time and有望 return during the playoffs.