OUCH! Al Harrington tears ACL and will miss the rest of the season

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Thursday, January 24
Torn ACL shelves Harrington for season
Associated Press


INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers forward Al Harrington will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Harrington was injured in Wednesday night's loss to Boston. He twisted his right knee while running through a pick and fell to the floor, grasping his knee in pain. Harrington was carried off the floor and was at first diagnosed with a sprained right knee.

Indiana said Thursday he will not return this season.

"Personally, it really hurts me as someone who really loves him," Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said. "He's a guy who's worked extremely hard and been very positive. He has shown tremendous strides in his game. It's a setback for him. But I know the person that he is, he won't let this stop him from achieving his goals."

Harrington will undergo surgery Friday and is expected to make a full recovery in time for October's training camp.

Harrington was having the best season of his four-year career. He was the Pacers' sixth man, averaging 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds. He set a career high with 26 points Dec. 15 against Milwaukee and tied a career best with 16 rebounds Dec. 29 against New Jersey.

"We don't have a guy on the team that can replace Al," Thomas said. "He was all-purpose for us."

Harrington, 21, was the team's first-round draft pick in 1998 out of St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in his first three seasons in the NBA.

The Pacers signed Harrington to a $24 million, four-year contract in November.