Charlotte forward has sprained ankle

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Charlotte Bobcats forward Emeka Okafor has been sidelined briefly by a sprained left ankle.

Okafor, the No. 2 selection in the last NBA Draft, injured the ankle late in Sunday's game against the LA Lakers and will miss Tuesday's game at Utah.

Immediately after the loss to the Lakers, the Bobcats said Okafor would probably be able to play on Tuesday. But the ankle got worse during the night and he sat out practice Monday.

Okafor, who was drafted out of the University of Connecticut, is the only Charlotte player to have started all 41 games this season. He leads the Bobcats in both scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (11.1 rpg).