Rice out for the season

[MFFL]

Here's the link

Jan. 5, 2002, 10:24PM
Rockets' Rice opts for surgery
Forward likely out for season
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

Rockets forward Glen Rice needed less than an hour to make his decision. The choice was that clear.

With little progress being made on his sore right knee, Rice opted at halftime of Saturday night's game against Indiana to have his partially torn right patellar tendon surgically repaired, likely ending his season.

"It was a shock to me," said Rice, who had not decided on surgery before meeting with team doctors Saturday evening but reached and announced his decision at halftime. "In the beginning, what we were trying to do is give it time to heal on its own. It didn't work out that way. It's disappointing.

"It's probably best to go ahead and get the surgery done and start rehabbing as soon as possible. One of the things I'm going to try to do is do the surgery and do the rehab and see where I can go from there."

Rice, 34, said he would not rule out returning this season. However, Rockets team physician Dr. Walter Lowe said the normal rehabilitation time is three to four months, and he did not expect Rice to be back this season.

"I'm not going to say if I work as hard as possible (he would not play this season)," Rice said. "But not having the surgery, it could tear completely."

Lowe said the surgery is "a simple operation" and not career-threatening. But he said Rice risked completely rupturing the tendon if he were to play with the injury.

Lowe said the tendon is between 10 and 15 percent torn.

"Glen had a (magnetic resonance imaging) test on Friday," Lowe said. "We took that MRI and compared it to one done five weeks ago. It didn't show any signs of healing. There does not appear to be any scarring and healing on its own."

Rice has been out since Dec. 8 and on the injured list since Dec. 18. He averaged 8.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting and shot 28.1 percent on 3-pointers in his 20 games this season.

He was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal in which the Rockets sent free-agent guard/forward Shandon Anderson to the Knicks.

[FineCubanCigar]

few could match him shot for shot in his prime, one of my favorite players to watch when he got hot.