Joel Przybilla out for season with broken right hand

Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will miss the remaining five games of the season with a broken right hand (second metacarpal), sustained in the second quarter of Portland’s game vs. San Antonio April 6.

“This is all the more unfortunate because Joel had his mind set to play all 82 games this season, and he almost made it happen,” said Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard. “When you look at what he’s accomplished, Joel put his heart and soul into this season, and he gave us his all every night.”

The injury occurred at the 4:43 mark of the second quarter, when Przybilla’s right hand hit the rim while defending a lay-up by the Spurs’ Ime Udoka.

Przybilla, 28, will finish the season with averages of 4.8 points, a career-high 8.4 rebounds, 1.21 blocked shots, 23.6 minutes and a 57.8% field goal percentage in 77 games (67 starts). His rebounding average, blocked shot average and field goal percentage lead the Trail Blazers this season.

The fourth-year Trail Blazer pulled down a career-high 26 rebounds March 22 at the Clippers, tying the franchise record for a regulation game and coming just one shy of the overall record 27.

With 93 blocked shots on the season, Przybilla increased his Portland total to 453, placing him seventh on the team’s all-time ledger.

Apr. 6: Knicks 100, Magic 90

The AP reports: Rookie Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 23 points, Zach Randolph added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the New York Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 100-90 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. Fred Jones and David Lee added 13 points apiece for the Knicks, who won for just the third time in 20 games. The other two victories were against Miami, making this their first win over a team other than the league-worst Heat since beating Charlotte on Feb. 27… Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 points for the Magic, who will now have the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs… Dwight Howard had 13 points and 15 rebounds for his 66th double-double of the season, tops in the NBA and two shy of Shaquille O’Neal’s franchise record set in 1992-93.

Apr. 6: Grizzlies 113, Wolves 101

The AP reports: Mike Miller scored 34 points and hit a season-high eight 3-pointers to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 113-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. Rudy Gay added 23 points for Memphis and Hakim Warrick had 20 as the Grizzlies sent the Wolves to their fourth straight loss and sixth in the last seven… Ryan Gomes led Minnesota with 19 points and Al Jefferson had 18.

Apr. 6: Pistons 91, Heat 75

The AP reports: The Detroit Pistons locked up the No. 2 seed. The Miami Heat moved closer to locking up 250 chances at the No. 1 pick. Rodney Stuckey scored 19 points, Tayshaun Prince added 14 on 6-for-7 shooting and the Pistons secured the second spot on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket with a 91-75 win Sunday over the Heat. Jarvis Hayes, Jason Maxiell, Juan Dixon and Arron Afflalo each scored 10 points for the Pistons (55-21), who won their fifth straight… Earl Barron scored 20 points for Miami, which lost its seventh straight… Chris Quinn finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for the Heat, which got 11 points and nine rebounds from Ricky Davis and 10 points from Mark Blount.

Apr. 6: Spurs 72, Blazers 65

The AP reports: Tim Duncan had 27 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio beat Portland 72-65 on Sunday, extending the Spurs’ winning streak over the Trail Blazers to 12 straight games… Manu Ginobili’s dunk with 1:31 left all but sealed it for the Spurs, who handed the Blazers their fifth consecutive loss. Ginobili finished with 10 points and six assists… All-Star guard Brandon Roy, who returned after a four-game absence because of a groin injury, led the Blazers (38-38) with 18 points. Travis Outlaw added 14 and LaMarcus Aldridge had 12 points and 11 rebounds… The Blazers were without starter Martell Webster, who suited up for Thursday night’s game but experienced dizziness and flu-like symptoms and was taken to a hospital.

Apr. 6: Pacers 105, Bucks 97

The AP reports: Reserve point guard Travis Diener scored 15 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-97 Sunday night. Diener, who averages seven points per game, made five of six 3-pointers in the final period. “It was big time for us,” said Danny Granger, who led the Pacers with 27 points… The Pacers shot 5-for-23 shooting in the third quarter, but 13-for-21 in the fourth quarter to overcome a 10-point deficit… Mike Dunleavy had 17 points and seven assists and Jeff Foster had a season-high 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers, who have won eight of 11. Redd led Milwaukee with 24 points and Charlie Villanueva added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Bucks, who have lost six of eight. Bucks point guard Mo Williams sat out with an abdominal injury.

Apr. 6: Mavs 105, Suns 98

The AP reports: Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points and the Mavericks rallied from a 13 points down early in the fourth to stun the Phoenix Suns 105-98 on Sunday. Dallas outscored Phoenix 27-9 in the fourth quarter for the kind of gutsy victory against a strong opponent the Mavericks had sought since the trade that brought Kidd from New Jersey… Josh Howard added 24 points and Brandon Bass 19 for the Mavericks, who used a smothering defense in a 16-0 run that put them ahead for good in a game the Suns had led nearly throughout. Phoenix went scoreless for just under 8 minutes, missing 12 shots in the process… Amare Stoudemire had 31 points for the Suns but missed three of four free throws down the stretch. Nash had 14 points and 10 assists, but shot only 4-of-17 from the field.

Apr. 6: Hornets 108, Warriors 96

The AP reports: Chris Paul had 16 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds and New Orleans tied a franchise record for single-season victories with 54 in a 108-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday… Peja Stojakovic and David West each scored 25 points, helping New Orleans close the game on an 18-6 run after Golden State had rallied to tie the game at 90 early in the fourth quarter… Monta Ellis had 35 points and 10 rebounds to keep the Warriors close late into the final period, which Warriors coach Don Nelson called “a bright spot in kind of a gloomy game.” … Baron Davis and Andris Biedrins each scored 17 points and Biedrins also had 15 rebounds for Golden State (46-31), which has lost three of four games and will need a strong finish to earn a playoff berth.

Ronnie Brewer health update

Utah Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer, who has missed the last three games with a strained right groin, was able to participate in practice today in Salt Lake City.  He will travel with the team to New Orleans on Monday and is a gametime decision for the Jazz’s game at the Hornets on Tuesday night.

Brewer originally suffered the injury in the third quarter at Minnesota on 3/30.  He did not play in the Jazz’s three home wins over Washington (3/31), Minnesota (4/2) or San Antonio (4/4) this past week.

Sonics shoe handout causes staff blowup

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Gary Washburn) reports: According to a team source, the Sonics players were supposed to walk out of the tunnel after Friday’s game, where signed shoes were supposed to be waiting for them. Apparently, they weren’t, leading to mass confusion and finger-pointing between the Sonics marketing team, the game operations staff and the front office, who had to scramble to get players onto the floor.