Tiago Splitter will reportedly miss two more games, rest through All-Star break with hip injury

It has been an injury-plagued season for Tiago Splitter, and the Atlanta Hawks will reportedly be without their ace reserve big man through the All-Star break. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution brings word that the Hawks will keep Splitter out of action for two additional games, coming on Monday against Orlando and Wednesday against Chicago, in an effort to give him the additional rest provided by the league-mandated break.

With his absence on Sunday afternoon in Orlando, Splitter has missed four consecutive games, and that streak will reach six by the end of the week. In total, the 31-year-old big man has missed 17 games on the year, including some pure "rest" absences earlier in the year, but Splitter's hip ailment has become troublesome to the point where Mike Budenholzer has talked openly about pain management for the injury.

Mike Muscala has been called upon in Splitter's recent absence, playing double-digit minutes in each contest this week, and that appears to be the plan moving forward until the veteran returns to the lineup. While the Atlanta Hawks are notoriously thrifty when it comes to injury information, keeping Splitter out of uniform for the next few days looks like a wise decision in any event, as the Hawks can stay afloat and give the banged-up center some extra time to regain near-full health.

Stay tuned.