Hornets' Batum to sit out regular-season finale with ankle sprain

With playoff seeding still up for grabs, the Charlotte Hornets will be without swingman Nicolas Batum for their regular-season finale Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.

Batum sprained his left ankle during Monday's win over the Boston Celtics. The Hornets can finish no lower than sixth and no higher than fifth in the Eastern Conference, and given that there doesn't appear to be an obvious benefit to moving up, they're wisely focusing on getting Batum as healthy as possible for the postseason.

The 27-year-old impending free agent will finish his first regular season in Charlotte with averages of 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. The Hornets have gone 6-5 in games he's sat out.