Powe out for season with ACL tear
The Celtics, already shorthanded at forward with star Kevin Garnett likely out for the playoffs, suffered another significant blow today when they learned that Leon Powe will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee.
Powe, a key reserve at forward, had an MRI after injuring the knee in the second quarter of the Celtics' 118-115 victory over the Bulls in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. The injury was originally diagnosed as a sprain, but the Celtics received the bad news this morning.
"He's obviously out for the playoffs," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Surgery will be determined when it's determined. So obviously a tough break."
Knee injuries are nothing new to Powe. He had reconstructive surgery on his left knee in the spring of 2002 after his junior season at Oakland Tech High School. The 6-foot-8-inch, 240-pounder also had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and bone graft surgery during his sophomore year at the University of California.
He missed the entire season, and while he returned to excel as a redshirt sophomore at Cal, his history of knee problems was a major reason he lasted until the 49th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
"He played three minutes with a torn ACL on the floor [Monday night]. That says so much about Leon Powe the person," Rivers said. "Forget the playoffs and all that stuff. That's just a tough injury for a kid who's done everything right. That just makes no sense."
Powe injured his right knee March 17, also against the Bulls, causing him to miss nearly a month. Rivers said that Powe's right knee will not require surgery.
The injury is yet another blow to the Celtics' front court, which is already missing Garnett, sidelined with a knee injury. Powe was the first forward off the bench, with Glen Davis starting in Garnett's spot. Mikki Moore will likely see more playing time in Powe's absence, while Brian Scalabrine will return from post-concussion symptoms. He has not played since Feb. 23.
“Tough break," said Davis. "[Powe’s] very competitive. I think what he needs to focus on right now is getting healthy.”
Powe averaged 5 points through the first two games of the Bulls series, including an 8-point, 8-rebound effort in 17 minutes in Game 1. Powe, who will be a free agent this off-season, averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 17.5 minutes during 70 games in the regular-season.
Rivers said Powe was not at the practice facility yesterday and he told him to "take some quiet time for himself."
“It’s tough. You know the whole circumstances with the contract year and all that stuff,” Rivers said. “It’s just a lot of bad things. That’s part of the sport. It’s a tough one . . .
“We talked a little bit. There is not a lot you can say. The game, when you talk to him at that moment, is not as important as life. I don’t think people understand that about sometimes. They put their careers on the line every time they go on the floor.”
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now we're REALLY screwed
that stinks, could this team have anymore injuries?
Tough break. And this isn't even the same knee that had him shelved for the latter part of the season. Not to mention the knee injuries and surgeries he had when he was younger. Not a great time to be hitting the open market....
This is not a good sign. Mikki Moore is really going to need to step it up. Let's hope Rondo's ankle is fine and Garnett is thisclose to returning. Everything about KG's injuries seems to be under wrap since no word about him seeing a doctor is out there.
Jason,
Yes. Please don't jinx them any further...
Lakers were 2 games away from a Championship with Bynum & Ariza out, c'mon sissies, let's see what yer made of?
I love Powe's effort and heart. This is sad. I hope he stays a Celtic. Get better and God bless Leon!
Is this the same knee he hurt/had surgery on in college at Cal? I think so as the injury earlier this season was to the "other knee." This could be very bad for his career unfortunately.
God is not a Celtics fan this postseason. No reason to really get mad at this-there is really nothing you can do. This will however make it interesting (with Leon already having had serious knee surgery in the past) in the offseason to see if the C's resign him and/or Big Baby. Perk and Davis will both just have to turn it up one more notch...
i hope this is not the last we've seen of Leon in a Celtics uniform
Now this makes me wonder what we're gonna do this offseason with both him and Glen Davis...
that really hurts because mikey moore actually hurts the celts when he is out there.
powe is one of my favorites on the c's. i hope he comes back strong next year. the c's should resighn him.
Get PJ on the horn...
Get PJ on the horn...
Garnett will be back to save the day.
Up there with Bird, Pierce entering through the tunnel...
It will be magical.
I can see the interview now
"My team needs me..and I'm back..."
I'm sure the C's will try to compete. They might get through the first or second rounds, but I don't see them advancing beyond that. They have too many holes. They need big people. Mikki Moore is not the guy. Big Baby and Perk will get too much playing time. The C's will have a small lineup. I don't see Stephon Marbury adding any value. No Powe + No Garnett = No chance. Oh well. Let's hope Garnett can regain his form for next year; otherwise, this run is over.
when it rains it pours.
Maybe Cedric Maxwell can suit up...he's available.
Isn't Scalabrine near 'ready-to-go'?
Garnett looked good 'mouthing off' from the bench, especially at the end, last nite.
Lets go BRUINS
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Man, I hope he is back on this team next year!
Well Mikki Moore will have to step up his game which translates into what clockerchops types - we're missing to many players that are needed "in the paint" to go very far
POWE IS AWESOME. THIS RELLY HURTS....WHAT IS THE EXACT INJURY?
well thats that the rest of the bench is just going to have to step it up its not gonna be easy but i still feel they have a fighting chance have faith man
The bench needs to pick it up just like it has done all season long. Go C's!
OH MY GOD...I really didnt think it was that serious because he as running up and down the court when doc hesitated to call a timeout about 2 minutes after the injury. hearing this is extremely bad news, now were REALLY gonna have to rely on big baby and mikki moore even more now. ugh.
Good luck Leon and thank you for your efforts. I pray all heals well.
and Mikki Moore is out with six fouls by default, I guess TAllen will have to play that spot!!
I'm telling you.... the Celtics 'NEVER' should have fired Lucky the Leprechaun earlier in the season.
Its the Curse of the Luckino!
Pack it up, Celts.. see ya next year.
Just remember, the injury occurred in the 2nd quarter, and we still beat the Bulls. But it is going to take a miracle to take a game on the road. If the C's make it to the 2nd round, I'll bow down to the Leprechauns and kiss their feet.
Even the most optimistic Celtics fan needs to pack it in for this year!
Let the Bill Walker era begin.
KG will be starting at power forward in Game 3 in Chicago
Hang in there, Leon. Rehab strong and come back next year better than ever.
it's time for everyone else to cowboy up!!!!!!!
good afternoon from cleveland
you sure can have some more injuries, we are waiting on Paul Pierce to "fake" another knee injury like last year. BUM
hope rondo goes down too. he is a soft little boy. might hurt his self putting a
t-shirt on after the game . BUM.
Cal does not equal UC. Also, might want to specify which UC he attended, as there are a few.
what a tough break for leon powe.... great player and alot of toughness, but more importantly seems like a great guy.. doc never gave him the minutes he deserved. besides kg really the celtic who epitomizes the workhorse mentality. hope he heals up well
Ray Allen's shot aside, the playoffs have been one big Pervis Ellison of a time.
This is not the "Luck of the Irish" we're all looking for... Let's just pray that this will be the last of ANY injury to the team. I'm in the central TX area... and have and will continue to LOVE this team... GO CELTICS!!!
well they now need to dig even deeper to see what they are made of. Things can only get better or they are golfing early this year.
Injuries? The Patriots come to mind.
Cruel and sadly not unusual for Leon.... keep working and come back strong, everyone is pulling for you Leon !
yes we could. lets not jinx it.
ok, this is just too much. why are the celts getting hurt SO much this year?
Very odd. And annoying.
Adios Celtics!
I was trying to remain optimistic in spite of KG's prognosis, figuring if Big Baby and Powe played out of their minds, they could make up for some of what would be missing. However, if we don't have KG or Powe, we're in deep trouble. Crazier things have happened, but I just don't see how we can compete with Orlando or Cleveland without both KG and Powe. We already have our hands full with the Bulls!
We had very little chance without KG against the likes of Cleveland or LA anyway. The lone positive might be that he will come less expensively should we try to resign him.
Already knew it was over now it's really over ( this series even) I think they are going to keep Baby in the offseason due to Leone's injuries. He's already up to 3 blown knees in his lifetime. It sucks. He's the type of guy you can always root for but sometimes your body betrays you.
This poor guy is being robbed of a good career. I don't know how much longer he has left with all these multiple knee injuries.
scalabrine needs to start playing and pulling his weight, or else he needs to be cut after this season. actually, he should probably be cut anyway. this news really stinks, just when powe was finally back.
this is terrible, the race for banner 18 is going to be all the more difficult
Now we're REALLY, REALLY, screwed!!!
man i really feel bad for powe. he's had so many bad injuries, damn man. i hope he can fully recover from this one and come back strong sometime next year. damn, he's one of my favorite players to watch cuz he always gives 110%. get better man.
Brutal.
Now Pierce will probably have to see some time at PF -- and he's tired and beat up enough as it is. Doc may have to go with some 3-guard sets.
And definitely added pressure on Big Baby and Perk to avoid stupid fouls.
They can't play Mikki Moore. They just can't. He is beyond awful. if Scal can't come back, Pierce has to play some minutes at the 4 and they need go to some 3 guard sets with small lineups. What a shame.
The only good thing for a diehard Celtic fan as I've been for 40+ years is that either the Lakers or the Cav's will get eliminated. Any true Celtic fan roots against the Lakers and since that childish display LeBron and company put on when beating a shorthanded Celtics team they're a close 2nd. If the Celt's cant win it anybody but L.A. or Clevland will be just fine in my book.
I'm sure the haters are happy...damn!!
Ugh... I guess a Lakers vs Celtics series ain't gonna happen this year. I hate the Celtics, but I hate Lebron even more. I was really hoping you guys could take care of the Cavs. I guess we'll have to wait for next year to get our revenge.
good afternoon from cleveland
hahahahahahahahahhaahhaahhahahahahahhaa
so what. now you see how it is when the "fix" is not in for your squad.
"Here we go, Bruins, here we go...."
Oh no! This means we're going to have to endure watching Micki play even more. Ugh. That guy is painful to watch.
you have to feel bad for this kid and all the knee problems he has had. seems like a good kid, hopefully he will be OK
Pierce and Allen better avoid any large construction equipment, icy sidewalks, or black holes for the rest of the playoffs. Sheesh. Insult to injur(ies) for this team.
I wonder what the Celtics stance will be regarding a possible contract offer for Leon now that he will require further surgery on his knee. I'm sure their plans have been altered by this injury. Just another brutal blow for Leon as well as the team; he's worked so hard to get to where he is today.
If the Celtics manage to somehow get past the Bulls, they'll have to do it with guts and determination and some meaningful minutes from their depleted bench roster. We'll never know how far they might have gone with Garnett and Powe healthy.
AH HA!!! GO LAKERS!!!
What's next, Perk and Scal are in a car accident with Moore and Big Baby and all four are out. Then what? Pierce at center, Ray at the four, then House, Rondo and Marbury rounding out the starting five? Ridiculous!
This is awful. Leon's life before NBA and college was challenging to say the least. The Celtics think highly of him as a person. You just hope that his NBA career isn't damaged or ended.
Now we'll see if getting Mikki Moore and Stephen Marbury was worth anything to this team !!!
1/2 price Powe, Isle 6
Wow, some people have no class....I can see not wanting the Celts to win if they are not your team, but the guy is injured, show some respect. I hope Leon comes back full force next year, (he sure deserves a break), and with the same starters healthy, and Big Baby, Scal, Powe, House and some new bench players we will go all the way! Not that I am counting us out just yet this year.....
worthy 4-0... GET A LIFE
At least Rondo came back last night. Was looking mighty bleak for a moment there. Losing Powe will make it harder to get by Orlando. Not even thinking about Cleveland yet. Hope some miracle happens with Garnett to get him into that series even if for Powe's minutes. Baby and Perk played out of their minds last night.
Perhaps this is just me, but I would rather earn a spot in the finals against a rival's best, rather than get gifted a spot due to injuries.
Laugh all you want Laker/Cleveland fans, but the 2009 title is officially tainted.
Basketball is stupid anyways. Hockey is a much better sport. Boston is the hub of Hockey. Stop cheering for the losers, and cheer for the BRUINS!!!!
The NBA is a joke!!!
Wow, that is a big blow. I think the Celtics will be lucky to win a game in Chicago, unfortunately.
Laker fans couldn't stop crying when they lost Bynum last year. It cost them their entire season but when the Celtics lose 1/2 their team Celtic fans are are a bunch of cry babies. That's why they call it La LA land. LAughable.
Best of Luck Leon .... love the way you play and conduct yourself. Rehab well.... it would be a shame is you are not on the C's next year.
Leon, so sorry this has happened to you. Your intelligence, skill and toughness will be missed. True fans of the game know what you bring to the team and people that know your personal story have nothing but admiration for you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Officially tainted? What?
So...if there are injuries to a team, then the title is "tainted?" Using your own logic, your title is tainted from last year as the Lakers were without two of their integral players.
*rolls eyes* Sheesh. Get a life. Your season is over, it's no one's fault. Injuries happen. Shut up, get well, and try to come back next year.
Playing with injuries on your team is part of the game. Everyone talks about the LAKERS not having a healthy Bynum last year, but they got to the finals without a healthy Trevor Ariza who has proven himself to be an integral part of that squad. Let's see how far the keltics can get with two of their guys out. The true heart of a champion belongs to the LAKERS for having an incredible season last year with the injuries they sustained. There are two people who are more upset by these keltic injuries than any boston fanatic - KOBE BRYANT and JERRY BUSS. Those two men wanted another shot at an uninjured keltic group more than anyone can imagine
Worthy 4-0 - Get a life douche
Kicking someone when they are down shows you to be the worst kind of DIRT BAG.
Isn't it funny how classless Cavaliers and Lakers fans like to get on these boards and type little ridiculous comments? Especially the one a-hole on here from Cleveland who calls himself worthy4-0. He's on here making fun of the players with injuries. When his own best player LeBron James flops more then anyone else in the league. Everytime he gets fouled, he falls to the court and rolls around like he's been shot, LMAO. On one play in the playoffs last year when he was going to the basket against the Celtics, he faked like he got smacked in the head, and he's lying on the court holding his head and face like someone hit him with a baseball bat, yet the replay clearly showed that no one even touched him. What else is funny is that this a-hole likes to shoot his mouth off when his ENTIRE CITY has not won a single damn thing in about sixty years. Now that is what I call FUNNY!!!!! And he is on here thinking he is going to rile up fans of a team who has won 17 World Championships? Tell me again, I forget, how many championships have the Cavs won again ???
Powe can not catch a break (maybe that is a poor choice of words). I remember watching him at Cal before the knee injury and I thought he was going to be a repeat NBA All-Star. He was so tough and intense. It's a shame he is a shell of what he could have been had it not been for the injuries. Celts seem to be snake-bitten this year.
Don't worry C's fan, Leon Powe news has not confirmed with ESPN yet:)
Worthy 4-0. what a jackass. You Laker suck-ups are fortunate indeed as with a healthy Powe and Garnett we'd put another whuppin on ya..
Leon always gave 100%. I love the way the guy plays against bigger players.
I hpe the injury doesn't end his career. He was fun to watch.
Geez #1 Celtic fan. Change your tampon.
You can't talk about fake injuries without talking about Pierce's wheelchair.
Go to a Laker or Cavs forum and see all the stupid comments posted by Boston fans. It works both ways.
who care anyway? seasons already done. even if there was a miracle return by garnett then we would still get smoked by cleveland anway. 2009 will be the year the stanley cup returns to boston so get behind that with all your might.
hello from cleveland
not kicking the man while he is down..
I am kicking the team... hate the celtics.. BUMS.
you see everything is cool when you are winning.. but when something happens you start acting like Bi.. (female dogs) .
you get a life.. SCRUBS... hope you get blown out.. (or is that still kicking)
"blown out" get it.. like your boys knee
hahahahahahahahhahahahahaahhaaaaaahhaaa..LMAO
I can't take it anymore...omg. Whats next...
At least Boston has an excuse worthy4-0, what will yours be when the Cavs lose in the ECF or Finals? Glenskier-Like you whooped us on Christmas & at home this year right?
worthy 4-0 are you like 12 years old or something? get a life
hello from cleveland..
now let me get you right.. cleveland has not won anything. nothing at all in 41 years
no basketball, no baseball (you should know about that) and no football. in fact I think the Browns (clowns as you know um) are the washington generals of the NFL.
but you people seem to act like your team could and cannot ever lose. do you remember your 14 win seasons ? I love it . cause I hate the celtics. that is the simple part. Now your SCRUB pierce flops like any body else .so touche dirtbag get a life and have a nice day
. .
That's not good. Now Big Baby & Mikki Moore are gonna have to step up. & we're not gonna get anymore out of Big Baby than we got last nite. If that lumbering dipsht Scalapussy would get out of his jeans & sweatshirt & put on a uniform he could actually help out for 2 minutes a quarter. When did he bang his little head? January????
Leon is a real warrior, I am sick that this has happened to him. He has worked so
hard to improve his game and had become such an important player. Watching
him improve over the last two years has been a joy. I will pray that he can come
back healthy next year. I hope the Celtics will keep his spot open as he is a quality player and a good guy all around,. Get well Leon, my thoughts are with you.
once again... 12 years old
is "get a life" the thing to say in boston?
insult me in another way please.
Worrthless4-0, you better start praying you win this year or next, cuz your posterBoy will be leaving town then anyways. Who knows, maybe he'll end up here in Championship SportsTown USA (aka Boston). Who the hell would wanna live in Cleveland anyways? Oh, that would be you. LOSER
hello from cleveland
worthless ? got that on LA Times website earlier today;now that is a good one.
have you been to cleveland ? ever. (actually better than boston; Cleaner)
oh naw LBJ aint going to be in boston, you guys don't have no "hook up" here like you did in minn with Mccale..
why are you mad? ol boy gave back to his old town.. he just don't have anybody else to "give" you..
call the birdman with the pacers. don't he owe you guys a favor?
No title is tainted. If the Cavs win the title, it's not tainted, it's earned.
Ditto LA.
Ditto the Celtics last year. And by the way: EVERY so-called expert picked the Lakers to win that series, even without Andrew Bynum. Just like every expert picked the C's to win this series against the Bulls even without KG.
As for the C's, hate to say it: they could use James Posey. The common factor in Games 1 and 2 was their inability to shut down a hot guard. Not sure Posey could cover Rose, but he certainly could guard Ben Gordon.
That said, I'm not sure they'd beat Cleveland with Posey if they didn't have KG and Powe. So overall, it remains better that they didn't overpay Posey.
Let's see what happens the rest of the way. Perhaps we'll all be pleasantly surprised.
Otherwise: let's get KG healthy, let Pierce get some REST this summer, try to sign a FA swing-man defender (i.e., a cheaper Posey), and assuming continued maturation and improvement from Rondo, Perk and Big Baby next year, the C's will be one of the top 3 or 4 contenders for the title.
"Laugh all you want Laker/Cleveland fans, but the 2009 title is officially tainted."
If you wanna go down that road you're gonna have to admit your 2008 title is tainted. Sound good? Didn't think so.
"You Laker suck-ups are fortunate indeed as with a healthy Powe and Garnett we'd put another whuppin on ya.."
Just like you did in December and February, right? Got it. Try thinking before you type next time, fool.
You almost cant blame worthy4-0, if it wasnt for the injuries in Boston the Cavs would have even less of a chance to make the Finals, if they even make it. When you live in a dreary sports town like Cleveland you have to hope your competition is unable to play to stand a chance. You sound like a little bitc# laughing like a kid who farted in church. Proud of your own cleverness. Regardless the Cavs wont be champs. Clip and save.
From a Cav's Fan with class
Hey Boston. This news about is a terrible blowl. You guys have really suffer some serious injuries this season. It may not look good for you guys this year, but continue to put up the fight. I watched the game against the bulls last night and that last shot by Allen was amazing. You guys went bollistic. Boston is still an Elite team and I have high respect for you guys. I routed for you guys last year because I want the crown to come back East. Now that the Cav's are in, I'm hoping we can keep it here on the east coast. . Look forward to meeting with you'll next year.
This series has been a blast; the Bulls are playing carefree, fun basketball. Rajon Rondo is spectacular too.
That being said, it seems like a lot of people are worried about what this means to the eventual Cleveland series, the lack of an 18th banner, etc.
My advice is this: Get past Chicago first. A sea of red is awaiting you, and ready to run all. over. the gym.
My God am i tired of all you C's fans saying "it's over" Look people this is our team no matter what. I'll be cheering for them and seeing them out to the very end no matter what happens. Anyone who wants to quit on a team that has proven it will not quit no matter what can go support someone else's team. The celtics have taken every other teams best punches this year and just kept motoring ahead. I'm still wondering how in the hell they won 62 games. Support them to the very end, its the least we can do! Also, ppl need to stop suggesting the Lakers would have won last year if Bynum played.. the c's were simply the more hungry team!
Wow, Angie. I'm not a spell check kinda blogger, but... "blowl"? "bollistic"? "routed"? Maybe the keyboard is not your friend after all.
Don't be so pessimistic!
Scalabrine has been cleared to play and the other playoff teams are now quaking in their boots.
Bruins fans, go away. Different sport, stupider bandwagon. Nobody cares about a sport that only upper middle class people from Hingham and Cohasset play. Jeremy Jacobs is laughing all the way to bank with your money. You're just fooled by this temporary thing called "winning".
Wow .. the class showed by some of the rival fans on this board outstanding. Anyone that would gloat over injuries needs to step back and gain some much needed perspective. As to the comparison to KG's injury this year and Bynum's last year I am not sure that it is apples to apples. Yeah, Bynum was big for the lakers, but he is not the impact player that KG is for the Celtics. Our whole defense suffers without him in the middle, especially since we unwisely did not resign Posey. He cleaned up a lot of our mess and he held people accountable. maybe some day Bynum will be that kind of player or Ariza, but they certainly were not those types of players last year.
Leon. You are the man. You deserve much better. I pray that you will come back even better because deserve a lot of credit. You really deserve a lot better.
The only thing noteworthy about Cleveland is, uh, ......let me get back to ya.
The thing that should be dissappointing to all fans including cavs and lakers is that they don't get a true shot to knock off the champs. Isn't more fun to beat a team at it's best. And as Celtic fan its hard for me to say this, but even if healthy we still probably would lose to either this year, but the sad thing is we'll never get a chance to find out.
No.6 - Zoot- The one thing you conveniently overlooked is that when the Lakers lost Bynam, Jerry West went to his recent team and said..."Why don't you give the Lakers your best player for a few of their worst." Do you think you would have gotten within 2 games of winning the finals without Gasol ? Memphis gave up some of their future to accommodate West and the Lakers.
worthy 4-0,
I can tell by your handle that your game is whack!!!!!!!!!
Everybody knows that the only number worthy of following the name "Worthy" is 42.
You fouled out right there.
hog
COME BACK STRONG LEON ... going to miss you out there
Big deal! Lakers didn't have Bynum and Ariza and still made it to the Finals. Chicago in 6.
Hey Nickie.... Angie here ....and you're right.....didn't use the spell checky thingy. LOL
But let me assure you. I am a college graduate with a BA in Business.
I just typed and submit. LOL.
Just finished watching the Cavs/Piston. Piston came out fighting in the fourth, but we maintained and won the game. Friday is going to be crazy, hope we can get a win at the Palace. Peace out!!!
I loved his power coming off the bench. he will be missed, but there may be a small sliver of hope if Garnett can make an appearance next round or the east finals. If he can't, we'll only have 3 big men, well I should only count Mikki Moore as 1/2, so 2 and 1/2 big men. not good.
beantownsportsblogger at blogspot
The only way Mikki Moore could help us to a championship, is if Ed Lacert could transplant both of Mikki Moore's legs on to KG and Leon.
"The thing that should be dissappointing to all fans including cavs and lakers is that they don't get a true shot to knock off the champs. Isn't more fun to beat a team at it's best. And as Celtic fan its hard for me to say this, but even if healthy we still probably would lose to either this year, but the sad thing is we'll never get a chance to find out."
I agree with you 100%. Although it would have been nice to defeat the Boston One And Dones in the finals, I don't think they would have made it that far even if they were healthy.
Damn. Things start looking bleak for the Celtics and our friend opk3, after months of daily commenting, disappears in a cloud of dust. And I had begun thinking he wasn't just a bandwagon fan.