Hawks' Sefolosha blames police for injury

Apr 14, 2015 - 7:12 PM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Atlanta Hawks reserve forward Thabo Sefolosha issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that the New York City police caused an injury he suffered in an altercation last week.

Sefolosha and teammate Pero Antic were arrested outside of a Manhattan night club last week after allegedly interfering with local police following the stabbing of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland. Neither player had anything to do with the stabbing.

In the statement, Sefolosha apologizes for the distraction this has caused his teammates and thanks his fans, friends and the Hawks organization for the support he has received. However, he didn't go into detail about the alleged incident.

"On advice of counsel, I hope you can appreciate that I cannot discuss the facts of the case," Sefolosha said. "Those questions will be answered by my attorney in a court of law. I will simply say that I am in great pain, have experienced a significant injury and that the injury was caused by the police."

Sefolosha, one of Atlanta's best perimeter defenders, will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his right leg, which will require surgery.

The Hawks have secured homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Sefolosha, 30, averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in his first season with Atlanta after two-plus in Chicago and five-plus with Oklahoma City.