NBA roundup: Lakers' Gasol to miss at least six weeks, Garnett nixes Nuggets
It appears Los Angeles' NBA teams with be without two of its big men, at least for one more game.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol will miss at least the next six weeks with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot, CBSSports.com reported Wednesday.
Citing an unnamed league source, the report said Gasol felt a pop in his foot during Tuesday's game at Brooklyn. He had an MRI Wednesday in Boston and was scheduled to fly back to Los Angeles on Thursday for further examination by team doctors.
The report said Gasol could undergo rehab, which would keep him out 6-8 weeks. If he goes through surgery, however, he could be out as much as 12 weeks, but would have a better chance of a full recovery, the source told the web site.
In other injury news, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin was expected to miss a second straight game Wednesday night at Orlando due to a strained hamstring.
Griffin did not take part in Wednesday morning's shootaround and several media reports indicated he would sit out of the game.
Griffin suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics, forcing him to miss Monday's game against the Washington Wizards, breaking a streak of 197 consecutive starts. The team said he'll be re-evaluated Thursday to determine whether he will be able to return to the lineup for Friday's game at Miami.
---Denver might be interested in acquiring Kevin Garnett, but the Boston Celtics forward-center has no interest in the Nuggets.
According to the Denver Post, the Nuggets inquired about Garnett's availability, but his agent said no deal. Garnett has a no-trade clause in his contract that allows him veto power.
Garnett's name has popped up in reports of possible interest from the Los Angeles Clippers in obtaining the veteran. Garnett has a home in the L.A. area.
The Post reported that the Celtics have received multiple inquiries about Garnett.
---Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys will perform at halftime of the 62nd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 17, the league announced. She will sing a medley of her hits during the intermission. Before the game, NE-YO will perform a collection of songs and Grammy winner John Legend will sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
