Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will not play this season after it was confirmed he is to have microfracture surgery on his left knee.
Blazers say the op, scheduled for Friday in Vail, Colorado, will repair damaged cartilage, but stressed that this latest injury is not related to the broken kneecap he suffered early last December, when surgery was also required.
The 2007 No. 1 draft pick, who missed out on his rookie season because of surgery on his right knee, was just easing into practice when this latest knee problem was uncovered. He has played in just 82 NBA games, missing 176, and hasn’t started a game since last December.
“This young man is devastated about not having the opportunity to play this season, being so close to getting back on the floor and just all of a sudden,this situation comes up and it’s like, here we go again for him,” Portland coach Nate McMillan said.
It looks like Acie Law is on his way out at Memphis after failing to impress. Brought in as back-up to point guard Mike Conley, Law has struggled through 10 games, scoring just 1.2 points per game on 16.7 per cent shooting. He has not even hit a three-pointer yet, his defense has been poor – and now rookie Greivis Vasquez has grabbed that back-up spot.
Law’s contract at Grizzlies becomes guaranteed on December 8, so the Tennessee team will consider a roster change by holding work-outs with Patrick Beverley and Garrett Temple – themselves recently cut by the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs respectively.
Former NBA All-Star Allan Iversen is still a big draw in the States, as highlighted by ESPN3.com’s decision to broadcast his Turkish team, Istanbul’s Besiktas Cola Turka, live in action against league leaders Fenerbahce Ulker on Thursday afternoon at 2.45pm ET.
On the court in the United States, Amare Stoudemire and Danilo Gallinari starred with 27 points each as New York Knicks broke a six-game losing streak with a 113-106 victory at Sacramento Kings.
Meanwhile, Miami’s Chris Bosh hit a season’s best 35 points – even while sitting out the fourth quarter – and LeBron James ended on 20 points as the Heat overwhelmed Phoenix Suns 123-96.
In other action, San Antonio Spurs defeated Chicago Bulls 103-94, Boston Celtics ran riot in smacking Washington Wizards 114-83 for an eighth win in nine, David West scored with two seconds left to snatch a 99-97 success for New Orleans Hornets at home to Dallas Mavericks, and Oklahoma City Thunder recorded its best win of the season in beating Houston Rockets 116-99.
Also, Sonny Weems scored a career-best 25 points and Andrea Bargnani a season’s high 30 as the visiting Toronto Raptors made it five losses in succession for Philadelphia Sixers with a 94-86 victory, Minnesota’s Michael Beasley starred with 33 points as home side Timberwolves beat LA Clippers 113-111, Utah Jazz defeated New Jersey Nets 98-88, and Kobe Bryant hit 33 points for LA in Lakers’ 103-90 win against Detroit Pistons.
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