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| | Saturday, March 11 | ||||||
| PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns forward Tom Gugliotta will miss the
rest of the season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee
during Friday night's game against Utah.
Dr. Richard Emerson, the team's orthopedic surgeon, drained fluid from Gugliotta's knee Saturday and said an MRI exam showed "three major injuries -- complete ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament and damage to the meniscal attachment."
"We've had experience with ACL injuries in this organization," said Emerson, noting knee injuries to former Suns forward Danny Manning. "We like to shoot for the seven- to eight-month range for recovery." "It's disappointing, but I just have to concentrate on getting better and getting back to 100 percent," Gugliotta said. "The good news is our team still is going to be good the rest of the season. I just won't be a part of it."Gugliotta was injured with 3:09 remaining in the 99-96 loss to the Jazz. Suns guard Randy Livingston drove to the basket and fell into Gugliotta's left leg. Gugliotta fell to the floor in pain, gripping his knee, and needed help to get to the locker room. The injury also will keep Gugliotta from playing for the U.S. team in the Olympics this fall in Australia.
Gugliotta was averaging 13.7 points and 7.9 rebounds this
season. He missed seven games after suffering a life-threatening
seizure on the team bus Dec. 17 in Portland because of a reaction
to a food supplement. | ALSO SEE Suns' Gugliotta may be out for season with knee injury Bull's eye: Eisley's last-second 3-pointer pushes Jazz past Suns | ||||||
