Results of an MRI on Andrew Bynum’s right knee showed a tear of the medial collateral ligament, it was announced today.
Bynum, who suffered the injury early in the first quarter of Saturday’s victory over Memphis after having scored seven of the Lakers’ first 13 points, will be out approximately 8-12 weeks.
The MRI was performed Sunday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Bynum was examined this afternoon by Dr. David Altchek.
Bynum, who prior to the game against Memphis had averaged 26.2 points on 65.3 percent shooting, 13.8 rebounds and 3.20 blocked shots over his previous five games, ranks among league leaders in rebounds (19th/8.2), field goal percentage (8th/.558), blocked shots (6th /1.87) and double-doubles (17th/16).
Named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, January 19 through Sunday, January 25, Bynum is averaging 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.87 blocked shots in 46 games this season.
The Boston Globe (Marc Spears) reports: Celtics center Kendrick Perkins said he was fined $10,000 by the NBA for a hard foul on Pistons forward Jason Maxiell last Friday. Perkins was ejected with a flagrant 2 penalty. “I thought I was going to get more,” Perkins said. “So the $10,000 was pretty cool. I watched [the replay] a few times. It was a hard foul, but I wasn’t trying to hurt him. “He got real low. I wasn’t trying to go for his head. I just ended up hitting him. Like I said, it was nothing personal. I wasn’t trying to hit him in the head. It was just a play in the NBA.”
The San Francisco Chronicle (Janny Hu) reportS: In the middle of a rocky rookie season, Anthony Randolph has fired agent B.J. Armstrong. “My people and I decided it was the best for me,” said Randolph, who spent time with his family in Dallas on the road trip. “B.J.’s a great agent, but we decided this was best.” Randolph filed the official paperwork last week and said he is in the process of selecting a new agent. Armstrong, an ex-NBA player, also represents No. 1 pick Derrick Rose.