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Fracture ends Yao's season
Source: Agencies |
December 19, 2010, Sunday
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HOUSTON Rockets center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season because of a stress fracture in his left ankle, the National Basketball Association team's physician said on Friday.
An MRI scan on Thursday revealed a break in the medial malleolus, on the inside part of Yao's ankle, but the 30-year-old Chinese has not yet decided on how he wants to proceed.
According to Rockets' team physician Walter Lowe, surgery is the "usual course" to follow for this type of injury with rehabilitation likely to take between seven and 10 months.
"This is a season-ending injury," Lowe said during a news conference in Houston. "The issue right now is that it needs to be treated appropriately and then let it heal."
The 2.3-meter Yao injured his ankle during the first quarter of Houston's 91-98 loss to the Washington Wizards on November 10 and has not played since.
Lowe believes the stress fracture developed during Yao's rehabilitation over the last month.
"This was an ankle sprain with bone bruising it sounds like," Lowe said. "He had an MRI done up in Indianapolis, was brought back here and then really not progressing from a rehab standpoint which (led to) the new studies done yesterday that revealed a stress fracture."
Yao missed all of last season after suffering a fractured bone in his left foot and having an operation on the injury. The seven-time All Star has averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in five games during this campaign with Houston limiting his minutes in an attempt to prevent injury.
Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey said he is hopeful that Yao will recover and play for the team in the future, despite his latest setback.
"We need to continue to talk to the doctors and see where that goes," Morey said. "Yao Ming's an All-Star center and when you look throughout the league there's not very many of them. So if it looks like there's a good prognosis here - and we're still learning how good that prognosis will be - for sure we're going to look at Yao Ming past this season."
Yao is due to make US$17.7 million this season after signing a five-year contract extension in September 2005. Morey said the Rockets will explore options, including possible trade and signing exceptions and cap relief to soften the blow of Yao's absence.
His Rockets teammates, however, overcame Yao's loss to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 103-87 in Houston on Friday, with Kevin Martin scoring 34 points.
Rudy Gay and Sam Young scored 19 points each to lead the Grizzlies, but Gay was ejected for a flagrant foul with about 6 minutes remaining.
Luis Scola added 23 points for the Rockets and Kyle Lowry, who has been filling in for injured point guard Aaron Brooks, had 17 points and a career-high 18 assists.
Elsewhere in the NBA, it was: Heat 113, Knicks 91; Hornets 100, Jazz 71; Lakers 93, 76ers 81; Hawks 90, Bobcats 85; Thunder 102, Kings 87; Pacers 108, Cavaliers 99; Raptors 98, Nets 92; Clippers 109, Pistons 88; Mavericks 106, Suns 91; and Trail Blazers 107, Timberwolves 102.
An MRI scan on Thursday revealed a break in the medial malleolus, on the inside part of Yao's ankle, but the 30-year-old Chinese has not yet decided on how he wants to proceed.
According to Rockets' team physician Walter Lowe, surgery is the "usual course" to follow for this type of injury with rehabilitation likely to take between seven and 10 months.
"This is a season-ending injury," Lowe said during a news conference in Houston. "The issue right now is that it needs to be treated appropriately and then let it heal."
The 2.3-meter Yao injured his ankle during the first quarter of Houston's 91-98 loss to the Washington Wizards on November 10 and has not played since.
Lowe believes the stress fracture developed during Yao's rehabilitation over the last month.
"This was an ankle sprain with bone bruising it sounds like," Lowe said. "He had an MRI done up in Indianapolis, was brought back here and then really not progressing from a rehab standpoint which (led to) the new studies done yesterday that revealed a stress fracture."
Yao missed all of last season after suffering a fractured bone in his left foot and having an operation on the injury. The seven-time All Star has averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in five games during this campaign with Houston limiting his minutes in an attempt to prevent injury.
Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey said he is hopeful that Yao will recover and play for the team in the future, despite his latest setback.
"We need to continue to talk to the doctors and see where that goes," Morey said. "Yao Ming's an All-Star center and when you look throughout the league there's not very many of them. So if it looks like there's a good prognosis here - and we're still learning how good that prognosis will be - for sure we're going to look at Yao Ming past this season."
Yao is due to make US$17.7 million this season after signing a five-year contract extension in September 2005. Morey said the Rockets will explore options, including possible trade and signing exceptions and cap relief to soften the blow of Yao's absence.
His Rockets teammates, however, overcame Yao's loss to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 103-87 in Houston on Friday, with Kevin Martin scoring 34 points.
Rudy Gay and Sam Young scored 19 points each to lead the Grizzlies, but Gay was ejected for a flagrant foul with about 6 minutes remaining.
Luis Scola added 23 points for the Rockets and Kyle Lowry, who has been filling in for injured point guard Aaron Brooks, had 17 points and a career-high 18 assists.
Elsewhere in the NBA, it was: Heat 113, Knicks 91; Hornets 100, Jazz 71; Lakers 93, 76ers 81; Hawks 90, Bobcats 85; Thunder 102, Kings 87; Pacers 108, Cavaliers 99; Raptors 98, Nets 92; Clippers 109, Pistons 88; Mavericks 106, Suns 91; and Trail Blazers 107, Timberwolves 102.
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