NBA notebook: Oden undergoes more knee surgery - Columbus Dispatch

There appears to be no end in sight for Greg Oden and his troublesome knees.

The Portland Trail Blazers said yesterday that a procedure to clear debris out of Oden's left knee resulted in another microfracture surgery and that he will not play this season.

Oden had the surgery in Vail, Colo. It was originally expected to be an arthroscopic procedure to clean out the 7-foot center's knee, but the surgeon determined there was additional damage.

The former No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft from Ohio State has had two microfracture surgeries on his left knee and one on his right. He has also undergone surgery for a fractured left kneecap.

Oden, who has not played in an NBA game since Dec. 5, 2009, has appeared in 82 career games for the Blazers, averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds.

It was expected that he might be able to play this season, but a checkup before the start of training camp in December reportedly revealed concerns about a non-weight-bearing ligament in the left knee, further setting back his rehabilitation. The Blazers and Oden initially agreed to an $8.9 million qualifying offer for this year, but when the setback was announced the two sides restructured the deal, which was dropped to $1.5 million. He will be an unrestricted free agent following this season.

Last night's highlights

Nets 100, Knicks 92 — Deron Williams scored a season-high 38 points to lead New Jersey.

Jeremy Lin finished with 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for New York. Carmelo Anthony, in his return from a seven-game absence because of a strained right groin, shot 4 of 11 and scored 11 points.

Mavericks 89, Celtics 73 — Dirk Nowitzki had 26 points and moved into the top 20 on the NBA career scoring list to lead Dallas.

Bulls 90, Hawks 79 — Chicago's Derrick Rose looked sharp in scoring 23 points in his return after missing five games because of back pain.

Notable

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was suspended two games without pay by the NBA for throwing a ball at an official during a game against Detroit on Sunday. Rondo missed last night's game at Dallas and will sit out on Wednesday against Oklahoma City. … San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is expected to miss two weeks because of a strained left oblique. He missed 22 games this season because of a broken left hand.

21 Feb, 2012