W-OLF
04-13-2006, 05:58 PM
CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James will likely sit out Thursday night's game against the New York Knicks after the Cavaliers' All-Star forward sprained his left ankle during a blowout loss at Detroit.
The Cavaliers listed James as doubtful - a 25 percent chance of playing - for their second-to-last home game of the regular season. The club, which has clinched its first playoff spot since 1998 and already locked down the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, did not have a morning shootaround scheduled.
James rolled his ankle Wednesday night while being fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:46 left in the third quarter. He stayed in to shoot a free throw and complete a three-point play before limping off.
James, who had scored 22 points at the time of the injury, did not return to the Cavaliers' 96-73 loss. X-rays taken at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., were negative, and James was able to wear shoes for the walk to the team bus.
He will be examined by the team's training staff on Thursday, and James could be taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further tests if the ankle has worsened.
"It is nothing serious," James said following the game. "It was a pretty good sprain, but it ranks up there."
James missed two games with a left ankle sprain last season and three as a rookie with a sprained right ankle.
With nothing meaningful left to play for, the Cavaliers will be extremely cautious with James, who has made a late MVP push. In the 10 games prior to his injury, the 21-year-old averaged 37.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists and the Cavaliers went 9-1.
Including their matchup with the Knicks, the Cavs have four games left in the regular season.
If there is a plus to James' injury, it's that Cavaliers coach Mike Brown finally has a reason to rest his young superstar. James is averaging 42.7 minutes per game, second in the league to Philadelphia's Allen Iverson (43.1).
credit BellSouth
The Cavaliers listed James as doubtful - a 25 percent chance of playing - for their second-to-last home game of the regular season. The club, which has clinched its first playoff spot since 1998 and already locked down the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, did not have a morning shootaround scheduled.
James rolled his ankle Wednesday night while being fouled on a drive to the basket with 1:46 left in the third quarter. He stayed in to shoot a free throw and complete a three-point play before limping off.
James, who had scored 22 points at the time of the injury, did not return to the Cavaliers' 96-73 loss. X-rays taken at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., were negative, and James was able to wear shoes for the walk to the team bus.
He will be examined by the team's training staff on Thursday, and James could be taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further tests if the ankle has worsened.
"It is nothing serious," James said following the game. "It was a pretty good sprain, but it ranks up there."
James missed two games with a left ankle sprain last season and three as a rookie with a sprained right ankle.
With nothing meaningful left to play for, the Cavaliers will be extremely cautious with James, who has made a late MVP push. In the 10 games prior to his injury, the 21-year-old averaged 37.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists and the Cavaliers went 9-1.
Including their matchup with the Knicks, the Cavs have four games left in the regular season.
If there is a plus to James' injury, it's that Cavaliers coach Mike Brown finally has a reason to rest his young superstar. James is averaging 42.7 minutes per game, second in the league to Philadelphia's Allen Iverson (43.1).
credit BellSouth