13°c A few clouds
6°c Clear
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Chicago Bulls F Taj Gibson expected to miss 2 weeks with sprained left knee
CHICAGO - Taj Gibson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained left knee, forcing the Chicago Bulls to play without one of their key reserves at a pivotal point in the season.
Gibson stepped on the foot of Oklahoma City guard Reggie Jackson in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 102-72 loss to the Thunder and knew something wasn't right almost immediately.
"The first thing I did was grab my knee," he said. "I was in shock because I felt great. I went up for a regular shot block and I came down and it just gave way."
Gibson had an MRI and was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. He said doctors are planning to take another look to make sure there are no small tears.
It could be a crippling blow for the Bulls, who have been without Derrick Rose all season while the 2011 NBA MVP recovers from major left knee surgery. Gibson, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah have played almost all the post minutes for Chicago, and Gibson's injury means coach Tom Thibodeau likely will have to give more minutes to seldom-used centre Nazr Mohammed.
"Everybody in that locker room is capable of playing well, so all you have to do is go out there and do your job," Thibodeau said before the Bulls hosted Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Chicago did get one piece of positive news before facing the Cavaliers, with point guard Kirk Hinrich returning to the lineup. Hinrich had missed 10 of the last 11 games due to a lingering right elbow problem.
Replacing Gibson will be no easy task for Thibodeau, who had deftly coached the Bulls to a 32-24 record heading into the matchup with the Cavs. The 6-foot-9 Gibson is a rugged defender who is averaging 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Gibson said the injury gave him more sympathy for Rose, who hurt his knee in the playoffs last season.
"The things he is doing now coming back from that is hard," Gibson said.
___
AP freelance writer Patrick Rose contributed to this report.
___
Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap
More Basketball
- Back to Top
- Return to Basketball
More Basketball
(1 of 5 articles for today)
James gets all 119 votes, Bryant earns record-tying 11th selection to All-NBA first team
12:59 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Basketball
- Durant donates $1 million for tornado relief
- LeBron gets to the rim for the game-winner, and Heat top Pacers to open East finals, 103-102
- Michael Jordan says his NBA franchise is changing its name from Bobcats to Charlotte Hornets
- With NBA draft lottery completed, teams dive into preparations for June draft
- Cavaliers win NBA draft lottery, again
- Person with knowledge of decision says Krzyzewski returning to coach US men's Olympic team
- LeBron to the rescue: James scores at buzzer, Heat top Pacers 103-102 in Game 1 of East finals
- Spurs try to close out Warriors on the road in Game 6 of Western Conference semifinals
- NBA Commissioner David Stern feels the league in shape with 9 months left on the job
- Tony Parker guides Spurs to 2-0 lead in Western Conference finals for 2nd straight year
- Michael Jordan says his NBA franchise is changing its name from Bobcats to Charlotte Hornets
- Cavaliers win lottery again, have No. 1 pick in NBA draft
- Durant donates $1 million for tornado relief
- Serbian police say former Heat, Mavericks player Predrag Danilovic seriously injured in fight
- Capsule preview of the NBA's conference finals
- Warriors forward Harrison Barnes leaves playoff game with head injury
- Cavaliers win NBA draft lottery, again
- Give Heat edge due to experience
- Mayor: Deal to sell Kings to Sacramento group has been signed
- Mike Krzyzewski return as US men's Olympic basketball coach no longer ruled out
- Judge says auction house cannot sell Kobe Bryant's stuff yet as legal issues get complicated
- ESPN says it regrets that reporter described gay NBA player Collins as a sinner
- Jason Collins: Support after his decision to come out as gay NBA player has been 'incredible'
- 'Do me a solid' and free jailed American, Dennis Rodman asks North Korean leader in tweet
- Obama, Bill Clinton commend NBA player Collins on coming out as gay, offer support
- Michael Jordan says his NBA franchise is changing its name from Bobcats to Charlotte Hornets
- Real Madrid upsets Barcelona 74-67, Olympiakos stuns CSKA 69-52 to reach Euroleague final
- Olympiakos retains Euroleague title by recovering from 17-point deficit to beat Madrid 100-88
- MB Basketball hall of fame names new inductees
- LeBron James wins MVP for 4th time, 1 vote shy of being a unanimous selection
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.