Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez will miss the next two games because of a mild right foot sprain, the team announced Thursday.
X-rays were negative.
Nets general manager Billy King said Lopez feels pain in the top of his foot, and that this particular injury is not related to a previous one. King doesn't believe Lopez will need an MRI, and will be listed as day to day after the team completes it's two-game road trip.
"He's in pain. If he could run on it, he'd be playing," King said, adding that he "feels comfortable" that Lopez will not be out for a prolonged period of time.
Lopez suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wednesday night's victory over the Boston Celtics. He drove to the basket on Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett, missed a layup and came up limping. He stayed in the game until the next timeout, then returned in the fourth quarter before picking up his fifth foul at the 9:40 mark and sitting the rest of the way.
Lopez, 24, is averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Nets (10-4).
He underwent right foot surgery last December after fracturing his fifth metatarsal in the preseason, returned for five games after a lengthy absence and then suffered a second fracture, which was unrelated to the first one.
Originally, the Nets called the second fracture a sprain before noticing a line not previous discovered in a CT scan, which forced them to shut Lopez down for the year. But King doesn't expect that to happen again.
Backup center Andray Blatche is the likely candidate to start in place of Lopez, who will miss Friday night's game in Orlando and Saturday night's game in Miami.
Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.
