The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that center Marc Gasol and guard/forward Ronnie Brewer will miss the team’s remaining eight games of the 2009-10 regular season due to injury.
Gasol, a 7-1, 265-pound center, missed five games from March 16-24 after suffering a partially torn neck muscle during a game on March 13 vs. Denver and re-aggravated the injury in his second game back on March 31 vs. Dallas.
One of the leading candidates for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, Gasol has posted career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (9.3, T-16th in the NBA) and blocks (1.58, 13th) while shooting a franchise-record 58.1 percent (4th) from the field in 69 games this season. The Barcelona, Spain native leads all second-year players in rebounding and field goal percentage.
Brewer, a 6-7, 227-pound swingman, suffered a partially torn right hamstring on Feb. 19 vs. Miami, his first game with the Grizzlies after being acquired from the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline one day earlier. The four-year NBA veteran initially missed 13 games with the injury from Feb. 21-March 13 and has only played in four games since, last on March 22 at Sacramento.
The former University of Arkansas Razorback has averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.57 steals in 58 total games with the Grizzlies and Jazz this season.
Memphis (38-36) will host the New Orleans Hornets at 7 p.m. tonight at FedExForum. The Grizzlies need just four more victories to post the club’s first winning record since the 2005-06 season.
