NBA-National Basketball Association roundup
Oct 12 (The Sports Xchange) - Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was held out of Saturday's preseason game against the Washington Wizards in Rio de Janeiro because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. The Bulls said the move was only precautionary. Executive vice president John Paxson said Rose developed soreness during practice. "We never anticipated a straight line," Paxson said. "He had a little soreness and we are being ultraconservative because it's the third game of preseason. "We respect tremendously the fact that we're in Brazil and what that means, and we'd love for everybody to play. But the reality is it's too early to even press anything." Rio de Janeiro is the site of the 2016 Olympics. Rose missed all of last season after he tore the ACL in his left knee during the 2012 playoffs. Rose played the Bulls' first two preseason games. Paxson said the soreness was not unexpected and there are no plans for an MRI. "We know there's nothing structurally to be worried about," he said. "It's just a little soreness. If it was any other player, we'd do the same thing." - - - Charlotte Bobcats center Al Jefferson sprained his right ankle during Friday's preseason game against the Miami Heat. Jefferson, 28, has had knee problems in the past. He tore a meniscus his rookie season and his right ACL during the 2008-09 season. Jefferson, coming off a 2012-13 season in which he averaged 17.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game with the Utah Jazz, signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Bobcats in the offseason. - - - Miami Heat center Greg Oden will likely be cleared for five-on-five drills next week, according to ESPN.com. Oden, making a comeback from several knee surgeries, hopes to make his Miami debut in one of the team's final preseason games. The former No. 1 draft pick has not played in a game since 2009. He was limited to 82 games since being drafted first by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007. "Every little step for me, I just get excited," Oden said. "I just want to get out there and do more and more, get my wind back, get my legs back under me. I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks I'll be able to get a couple of minutes out there." The 25-year-old has career averages of 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. - - - Cleveland Cavaliers center Tyler Zeller was diagnosed with acute appendicitis on Friday and had an appendectomy at the Cleveland Clinic, the team announced. Zeller will undergo a period of additional recovery and re-evaluation before a timetable is established for his return to basketball activity. (Editing by Gene Cherry)