NBA roundup: Hornets' Rivers, Suns' Gortat sidelined
Two NBA starters will be out for an extended period of time, it was reported Thursday.
New Orleans Hornets rookie guard Austin Rivers will miss four to six weeks with a broken bone in his right hand, according to a USA Today report.
Rivers fractured the fourth metacarpal bone during the first half of Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He smacked his hand on teammate Greivis Vasquez's body after making a steal. Rivers exited the game for good with 4:28 left in the second quarter.
Rivers, the former Duke star and son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, is shooting 37.2 percent from the field, 32.6 percent on 3-pointers, 54.6 percent on free throws and averaging 6.2 points and 2.1 assists.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat will miss three to four weeks after an MRI revealed a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot.
Gortat was injured with 34.6 seconds left in the first quarter of the Wednesday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. He said he doubts he'll play again this season.
The 29-year-old has appeared in 182 straight games since being acquired on Dec. 18, 2010, including 138 straight starts. He's averaging 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season.
--Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander told KRIV-TV that he and general manager Daryl Morey have agreed on the parameters of a four-year extension that will keep Morey with Houston through the 2017-18 season.
Morey succeeded Carroll Dawson as general manager in 2007, a year after joining the organization as assistant general manager.
--NBA legend Michael Jordan filed for a marriage license Thursday at the downtown courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The name of Jordan's fiancee wasn't disclosed, but the former Chicago Bulls star was reportedly engaged to Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto in December 2011. Jordan arrived at the courthouse around 8:30 a.m. for the marriage license. State law requires the application be made in person, and it stands for 60 days.
