MASS GENERAL HOSPITA UPDATE - NAT ROBINSON

Robinson departs with knee injury

By Chris Forsberg
Celtics reserve guard Nate Robinson departed Thursday's game with a bruised right knee suffered in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. He will not return, according to the team.

Robinson committed an intentional foul on Kobe Bryant with 8:21 remaining in the second frame, then hopped directly to the locker room with team trainer Ed Lacerte in pursuit. The Celtics said he would be evaluated at halftime and, at the start of the third quarter, he was deemed out for the night.

Robinson's injury left the Celtics with nine available players and thinned an already depleted bench. Couple with foul trouble for the night's 3-point hero, Ray Allen, the Celtics leaned heavy on Von Wafer as a key backup guard.

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Robinson to undergo MRI on bruised knee


CSNNE.com

BOSTON - Add Nate Robinson to the list. Yes, that list.

On Thursday night, Robinson became the latest member of the Boston Celtics to get bit by the injury bug.

He suffered a bruised right knee in the second quarter of the Celtics 92-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Robinson left the court after playing less than four minutes and did not return, unable to put pressure on the knee and run.

After the game, though, he was optimistic about his status.

“I just felt a little pop, but I’ll be straight,” he told CSNNE.com. “It was just a bruise, they don’t see anything more.”

Robinson will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine if there are any further problems.

Even though he did not feel any pain walking around after the game, Robinson is airing on the side of caution. The Celtics face the Miami Heat on Sunday, and he wants to prevent further injuries in case he is cleared to play.

“I’m good. I can walk. I just don’t want to put too much pressure on it,” he said. “I want to save it for everything else that I need to do to work out if I’m ready for Sunday.”

If Robinson is unable to suit up, the Celtics would have to get creative at the backup point-guard position - a situation they found themselves in earlier this season.

Coach Doc Rivers played Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Marquis Daniels out of position when Rajon Rondo missed seven games in December. This time, however, Daniels is also sidelined (bruised spinal cord), taking away one option.

Prior to Robinson’s injury, Rivers had considered playing Delonte West on Sunday. West has not played since breaking his right (non-shooting) wrist on November 24. If West is to return, it will not be in connection to Robinson’s injury, although it is a possibility. He was expected to come back after the All-Star Break, but an earlier return was discussed on Thursday.

“No, no,” Rivers said when asked if West would play in place of Robinson against the Heat. “Before the game, [Delonte] asked the [team] doctor if he could play. Actually, they were going back and forth on it. I said, ‘If we have to go back and forth on it, then the answer is no. Alright?’

“So he’s going to practice on Saturday. I would like him to actually play in the New Jersey game [on Wednesday] just to get him in one game [before the All-Star break]. But even if he does play Sunday, let’s say, it will be five or ten minutes. It won’t be much either way.”

Rookie guard Avery Bradley, who was called up from the Maine Red Claws on Monday, played just over one minute on Thursday against the Lakers.

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"airing" on the side of caution? He better be getting acupuncture, or this this reporter is erring on the side of illiteracy.

Edward R Murrow must be spinning like a top in his grave.

bob

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Bob,
To air is human? Isn't this this right?
But I got a lol from your acupuncture remark. Maybe all this time I misunderstood. I thought they were saying air-ball...Maybe they meant err-ball...

...by the way, E.R. Murrow, my model for a great journalist-reporter-anchorman...

LACELTFAN wrote:Bob,
To air is human? Isn't this this right?

laceltfan,

Only if you're Jordan or skinnydipping.


bob

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...or skinnydipping in Jordan...in the Jordan River, of course