| | PHOENIX -- First a life-threatening seizure on the team bus.
Now, a potential season-ending knee injury.
It's been a bad season for Phoenix Suns forward Tom Gugliotta.
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| Gugliotta |
His latest setback came Friday night when teammate Randy
Livingston rolled into his left knee while driving to the basket
with 3:09 to play in a loss to the Utah Jazz.
Gugliotta lay grimacing on the floor, holding his leg for
several minutes, before being helped to the locker room.
Team doctor Richard Emerson scheduled an MRI exam Saturday but suspects the worst.
"There is very, very strong suspicion of a significant ligament
injury," Emerson told reporters after Utah's 99-96 win. "The
anterior cruciate ligament is the one we are focusing in on in this
point in time. Surgery is the primary option for treatment, but
this will be evaluated over the next few days.
"He did not hear any snap. The knee is loose. We're get the
diagnosis first and then we'll worry about the treatment."
"I'm going to stay positive," said Gugliotta, who missed seven
games after having a seizure on the team bus Dec. 17 in Portland
due to a reaction to a food supplement.
"I don't know what I have. The knee is swollen and it really
hurt the first few minutes after it happened. The pain was intense
but not much worse than a sprained ankle feels. I'm hopeful that
maybe it's a strain or something like that."
However, the rest of the Suns sensed Gugliotta's season is over.
"We don't have 'Googs' for the rest of the year, probably, and
that's sad," said guard Penny Hardaway. "I've seen plenty of knee
injuries. I've had them myself. It's not a good thing." | |
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