Whitehead's ankle injury a sprain, return likely for 'AA' playoffs

Lincoln will be without standout sophomore Isaiah Whitehead for next week’s Brooklyn borough playoffs, but he should be able to return for the PSAL Class AA playoffs at the end of the month, The Post has learned.

Whitehead only has a severe left ankle sprain, his mother Ericka Rambert said doctors told them, and could be back as soon as the scheduled contest against nationally ranked St. Anthony of Jersey City on Dec. 21.

“It happens to teams, people get hurt other people have to step up,” Lincoln coach Dwayne (Tiny) Morton said. “We can still win a championship. It depends how everyone takes it.”

Denis Gostev

Lincoln's Isaiah Whitehead will almost certainly miss next week's Brooklyn borough playoffs, but should be able to return for PSAL Class AA playoffs after doctors told him his left ankle was only a sprain.

Whitehead, a 6-foot-4 guard considered one of the top sophomores in the country, suffered the injury in the Railsplitters’ 72-65 overtime loss to Boys & Girls. After missing a jump shot along the left baseline he awkwardly landed on Boys High’s Shakur Pinder and immediately went down to the ground in agony.

An X-ray on Friday revealed no break, just a sprain on each side of his ankle, Rambert said. Whitehead will wear a protective boot for the time being and go through physical therapy before returning.

Without Whitehead down the stretch, Lincoln led Boys much of the way and was up three before Ethan Telfair missed two free throws with 14.5 seconds left and Leroy (Truck) Fludd was fouled taking a 3-pointer and made all three free throws to force overtime. Earlier in the year, Lincoln topped rivals South Shore and Jefferson without Whitehead, who was averaging a team-high 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game in league play.

“Playing without Isaiah is a transition, but we did it before,” Morton said. “I care about the kids understanding what we have to do and staying motivated. We went a stretch of the game yesterday when he was in foul trouble and then he got hurt. Yesterday’s team was a good team to watch during the time he was on the bench. I’m not gonna try anything new. I’m not gonna change.”

zbraziller@nypost.com