In terms of knee injuries, Auburn’s Jaylin Williams appeared to have among the more serious ones Saturday night in the 70-59 loss to Kentucky.

The silver lining on an otherwise disappointing night was the fact the forward’s injury wasn’t as ugly as it looked. The school announced Sunday it wasn’t in the season-ending category and on Monday, coach Bruce Pearl spoke with AL.com about the situation before speaking at the Birmingham Tip Off Club.

Pearl said he didn’t have a timetable for when Williams (averaging 13 points, 4.7 rebounds a game) would be back on the floor after Sunday’s MRI. He’s just amazed Williams’ knee survived such a brutal confluence of events.

“I think it’s a real tribute to Jaylin and our strength coach, Damon Davis because that thing came down really awkwardly and pivoted. But the fact he’s so well-trained and the fact he’s really and truly been under the care of a great strength coach allowed that thing … the muscle was able to take over.

“If it was me, I would have broken it right and half and it would have ripped everything apart.”

The injury occurred when Williams drove the baseline in the second half of Saturday night’s game. He jumped to dunk the ball but was blocked at the rim by 7-foot Wildcat Ugonna Onyenso.

Williams landed awkwardly as his right knee appeared to buckle on impact with the Neville Arena hardwood. It didn’t look good as Williams was helped to the locker room without putting any weight on his injured leg.

That made Sunday’s news a bit of a boost after an otherwise disappointing night.

“Yes, surprised and pleased,” Pearl said Monday. “Obviously pleased for Auburn basketball just to get him back later in the year and pleased for him just that it won’t be setting him back in his career at all.”

On the topic of the loss itself, Pearl said Auburn played well enough defensively to be in position to win.

“We missed some shots we would normally make or need to make and open shots,” Pearl said. “Holding them to 20 points below their average, holding them to only four 3-pointers when they average eight or nine, it was still the way to beat them defensively. We did fine there but our offense let us down and that’s my responsibility.”

It ended a 17-game home-court winning streak for an Auburn team coming off Neville Arena wins over Alabama (99-81) and South Carolina (101-61).

“I mean, you’re playing Kentucky,” Pearl said. “You know Big Blue Nation needed that one and they had lost three games at home. Look, it was a big game for both of us. For us it could cost us the ability to win the championship. But I’m really happy with our team.

“Our kids were picked in the middle of the league and they’re playing up at the top still but we’re going to be challenged right out without one of our top players in Jaylin Williams.”

Auburn returns to the floor at 5 p.m. CT Saturday with a road game at Georgia.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.