Opponent: Los Angeles Clippers
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
TV: None
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
Baker injured: Vin Baker missed Saturday’s game after suffering a slight tear in a right-thumb ligament during Friday’s game against Golden State.
What no one seems to know just yet is whether Baker will be back in uniform Thursday for Seattle’s next game, whether he will miss a handful of games, or whether he will need surgery and end up on the injured list for a month or more.
The final answer may not be known until Monday, when Baker visits with team doctors for a thorough examination. They will determine the severity of the injury and the available options.
Baker was hurt in the late minutes of Friday’s game at Oakland when his hand was smacked as he went up for a shot under the basket. The injured ligament is beneath the fleshy part of his palm at the base of the thumb.
According to Sonics coach Nate McMillan, Baker “has a slight tear in his thumb that is close to needing surgery. It looks like he’ll be out for a little while because if he gets hit on the thumb, there’s a possibility that it will tear (more severely) and that will require surgery and he’d be out for a month or so.”
Baker, though, said he hopes to be back for Seattle’s next game. “I’m not the expert,” he said, “but I know I’d rather just pad it up and keep playing. I’m hoping it will heal itself.”
If Baker is out for an extended period, it would be a great blow for the Sonics. Though his contributions have been inconsistent at times this season, he remains Seattle’s most effective low-post offensive player.
“We’ll see where he’s at in the next couple of days,” McMillan said. “We want to see him in practice and see how he does. And if he doesn’t practice, then we’ll make a decision about whether he’ll just sit out (a few games) or whether we’ll put him on the injured list.”
Spirit of the season: The Sonics showed the Christmas spirit Saturday to Ingraham High School basketball coach and onetime Garfield High School star JoJo Rodriguez. The Rodriguez family was recently victimized by a burglar and the family’s Christmas presents were among the stolen items.
The Sonics responded by hosting the Rodriguez family at Saturday’s game against Detroit. Sons Amir, 17, and Shaker, 11, were honorary ballboys, the entire family received a tour of the locker room and courtside seats for the game, and there were multiple gifts from the Sonics team shop.
Seize the minutes: If he continues his current pace, Sonics guard Brent Barry will play more minutes per game this season than at any time in his seven-year NBA career. Going into Saturday’s game, Barry was averaging 38.6 minutes a game. His previous career high was 34.1 with Seattle in 1999-2000.
“My body is a little banged up,” Barry admitted, “more so than in the past couple of years. But I’ve been waiting for this kind of chance and I just want to take advantage of the opportunity. I’ve been making sure I get my (weight) lifting in and that I eat right and take my vitamins and get my rest.”
Rich Myhre
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
