[外電] Mourning Feels Lucky Injury Isn't Worse
Alonzo Mourning first thought he'd suffered a cramp. His team's medical staff
feared it was a ruptured Achilles' tendon.
The Miami Heat center was relieved to learn he had a torn right calf, an injury
somewhere in the middle.
"It is discouraging," Mourning said Friday. "But at the time same, I know it
could have been worse.
He injured his leg Wednesday night in the Heat's loss to the Detroit Pistons.
He began rehabilitation on Saturday, and estimates he'll be sidelined three
to four weeks. But he hasn't ruled out the idea of returning before Miami's
regular season ends in Boston on April 19.
"I'm going to make sure that I'm healthy before I come back," Mourning said. "
It's important for me to be right before I step back on the court, especially
going into the postseason. I don't want to risk coming back too early and
injuring it again. It wouldn't be worth it."
Mourning was having a fine season for the Heat, who were touting him as a
defensive player of the year candidate. His 2.66 blocks per game rank fourth
in the NBA, and that stat gets even more impressive considering he only
averaged about 20 minutes of play.
His contribution, though, wasn't only on the defensive end.
He averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 20 games as Miami's
starting center this season, filling in when Shaquille O'Neal was injured. And
since Jan. 1, Mourning has made 68.8 percent of his shots from the floor.
"If it's two to four weeks, then I'll be happy," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "
He'll work very diligently to get it healthy. He'll stay in condition. Just as
long as he's ready to play when it counts the most."
In Mourning's absence, Michael Doleac -- who had a torn calf muscle at the
start of the season -- will fill his role. Doleac had a season-high 14 points
in Friday's 114-93 win over Charlotte.
"Michael is not only deserving, but he's highly capable," Riley said. "He's as
ready as anybody. He really gives us another dimension, a real dimension, at
(center) that I think a lot of us forget. He's a great, great screener. He
really gets people open and when he flares, he's got as quick a release as any
big man."
Doleac rehabbed his injury for three weeks, then reinjured it while running
and wound up missing three more weeks. Mourning cannot afford to be out that
long, not with the playoffs set to begin in four weeks.
"Soft tissue injuries are tough," Doleac said. "You never know. It's just a
tough injury to treat and deal with."
Mourning sees a bit of a silver lining -- he's getting some time to rest his
body before the playoffs begin.
"It's an unfortunate circumstance," Mourning said. "But if I had to pick a
time to get injured, I'd have picked this time, before we go into the
postseason."
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