Lakers waiting to learn severity of Bynum's injury

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers won't know the severity of Andrew Bynum's right knee injury until Monday.

Bynum underwent an MRI on Sunday, but spokesman John Black said the team wouldn't have the results until the next day.

Bynum was hurt in the first quarter of Saturday night's win at Memphis. Kobe Bryant drove to the basket, missed the shot and crashed into Bynum's right leg. Bynum immediately grabbed his knee.

"Everybody's just upset for him and disappointed for him," Bryant said before practice Sunday as the Lakers prepared to play at the Knicks on Monday night. "But hopefully everything will be OK. We're all optimistic about it."

The 7-0, 285-pound Bynum's injury brought back bad memories of last season for the Lakers. He went down in mid-January and was expected to be sidelined 8 to 12 weeks after bruising a bone in his knee and briefly dislocating his kneecap.

Instead, he missed the final 46 games of the season, as the Lakers lost in the NBA finals. He underwent arthroscopic surgery May 21 to remove some cartilage debris and smooth some rough spots on the underside of his kneecap.

Bynum is the Lakers' third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder this season, averaging 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

But the injury came as the 21-year-old seemed to be taking a major step forward in his fourth NBA season. In the five games before he was hurt, he was averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks and shooting 65.3 percent from the field.

Celtics' Allen replaces injured Nelson on East team

Posted Feb 5 2009 8:48PMNEW YORK (AP) -- Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen will replace injured Orlando guard Jameer Nelson next week in the NBA All-Star game.

Allen was added to the Eastern Conference team Thursday by commissioner David Stern after Nelson was forced to pull out because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Allen joins teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on the roster for the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix.

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"He should have been on there, so it's nice," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Having those three doing things together is nice, so I'm happy with the news."

Allen will be making his ninth All-Star appearance, having also been added as an injury replacement last season. He scored 28 points in New Orleans to help the East to a 134-128 victory over the West -- even outscoring game MVP LeBron James, who had 27.

"If injury replacement gets you 28 points in the All-Star game, I'll take it every year," Allen said. "I wasn't worried about it. But for three of us to represent the organization" is an honor.

Allen received a standing ovation from the Boston Garden crowd when the selection was announced during the first quarter of Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. But the news drew jeers from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who believed Mo Williams should have been picked to give them multiple selections.

Nelson also must be replaced in the skills challenge on All-Star Saturday night.