Ronnie Price Out For The Season
Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott informed reporters at the team’s practice facility on Tuesday that point guard Ronnie Price will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Wednesday to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.
The surgery is scheduled to be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, the Lakers said in a statement.
Price played in 43 games for the Lakers this season, starting 20 of them before moving back to the bench recently so that Scott could give more minutes to rookie guard Jordan Clarkson.
Price, who signed with the Lakers as a free agent in September, averaged 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 22.8 minutes per game, and was heavily considered to be the Lakers’ top perimeter defender.
Timberwolves Release Extra Tickets Ahead Of Garnett’s Return
The Minnesota Timberwolves have released an additional 1,000 tickets for the return of fan-favorite Kevin Garnett, who will play for the Timberwolves for the first time since being traded to the Boston Celtics in 2008.
The Timberwolves will host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, and said on Monday that they have released all remaining ticket holds for the game.
The Wolves are encouraging fans to arrive early at Target Center for Wednesday’s game.
Minnesota traded starting power forward Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday for Garnett, who joined the Wolves as a 19-year-old rookie in 1995.
Garnett is currently averaging 6.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as his career winds down, and holds career averages of 18.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Garnett, who is the Timberwolves’ franchise leader in several categories, has expressed in the past his interest in buying the team.
Kirilenko Signs With Russian Team
Former NBA All Star Andrei Kirilenko has signed for CSKA Moscow in his native Russia after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Kirilenko last played on Nov. 13 for the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to the 76ers, who waived him after last week’s trade deadline. Kirilenko was suspened by the 76ers on Jan. 9 after failing to report to the team after being traded nearly a month earlier. He had expressed his desire to be waived so that he could join another team.
Kirilenko said in a statement that, now at age 34, ”the time has come to think about ending my career at the professional level” and that he wants to do that at CSKA.
CSKA said his contract runs until the end of this season.
Kirilenko returned to Russia once before, spending the 2011-12 season with CSKA after leaving the Utah Jazz, although he returned to the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kirilenko played seven games this season for the Nets, averaging 5.1 minutes and 0.4 points. He holds career averages of 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and was known as one of the league’s best defenders while in his prime. He was named an All-Star during the 2004 season.
Bosh To Leave Hospital Soon
Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat is expected to leave a South Florida hospital in the coming days, as he continues to recover from a blood clot in one of his lungs.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday that Bosh’s release from the hospital will be ”soon,” but did not specify a certain date.
”We don’t know the exact date yet,” Spoelstra said. ”He’s getting a little bit better.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended Miami’s home game against Philadelphia on Monday night, and sent Bosh his best wishes.
”I know it’s devastating for him but the great news is this is very treatable, this condition,” Silver said in an interview with Sun Sports. ”He’s going to be on medication for a while that’s going to dictate he can’t play for a certain number of months, but he’ll be back at full strength.”
Bosh has been hospitalized since last week after the clots were found on his lung, a diagnosis that came after he didn’t feel well for several days. He sought treatment from other doctors for pain his in his side and back, though was still able to play in the Feb. 15 All-Star Game before his condition worsened.
The Heat previously announced Saturday that Bosh will miss the remainder of the season.
Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds this season.
