Indiana Pacers star Chris Copeland has reportedly been released from hospital just two days after being stabbed outside a New York nightclub.
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Copeland stabbed in New York: Incident takes place in early hours of Wednesday morning.
Copeland suffered knife wounds to the abdomen, elbow and hand during the attack outside the 1OAK nightclub on Wednesday morning, while Atlanta Hawks pair Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha were arrested as they were reportedly preventing the police from setting up a crime scene.
Footage has since emerged of Sefolosha being arrested, during which he broke his leg according to reports, while Antic was also apprehended by the authorities as he resisted arrest with his teammate.
According to ESPN, Copeland was in a stable condition on Thursday after undergoing surgery as the knife wound to his abdomen reportedly touched his diaphragm and fractured a rib.
The suspect, Shezoy Bleary, was charged with assault on Thursday but the investigation as a whole is still on-going with more details expected to be revealed in the coming days.
Copeland thanked the fans for their support this week and admitted that he regrets going out late, while the NBPA and the Hawks are understood to be set to investigate the involvement of Antic and Sefolosha further, particularly the events leading up to their arrests and injury.
Nevertheless, the news that Copeland has made a recovery and is on the road to full health will be welcome news for the Pacers and NBA as a whole, although naturally he will not return this season as the franchise continues to push for a playoff berth.
Sefolosha has also been ruled out for the remainder of the season, while both he and Antic apologised to the organisation and the fans for bringing negativity to the franchise in what has been a spectacular season for them so far.
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