Briefs: Stojakovic's return to Hornets pushed back
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
BETHANY, Okla. -- New Orleans Hornets guard Peja Stojakovic said Friday that a setback in his rehab from back surgery will delay his return to the court, hurting his chances of helping the team make a stretch run for a playoff spot.
"It got a little sore and stiffer," said Stojakovic, a three-time All-Star who had a disc fragment removed from his lower back Dec. 17. "I'm going to relax a couple days and get some medication and see how it goes."
The Hornets had planned to reevaluate Stojakovic to see whether he would be able to play Saturday night against the New York Knicks, but Stojakovic was unable to finish practice Friday. He started the session by shooting, but said he started to stiffen up when he started running. He worked out with trainers instead of practicing with teammates.
The intensity of Stojakovic's workouts was increased this week to determine whether he'd be ready for a return in the stretch run. New Orleans entered Friday 2½ games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the Western Conference's last playoff spot.
"I think doing that, now he's feeling some of the pain of it," coach Byron Scott said. "He's a little sore, so we're going to take a couple of days off to try to let his body get used to that." Full story
Tisdale undergoes treatment for cyst
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Former Oklahoma basketball great Wayman Tisdale is undergoing treatment for a cancerous cyst discovered below his right knee after he broke his leg.
Tisdale, a 6-foot-9 Tulsa native who played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, disclosed the cancer earlier this week on his website. He said the prognosis for his recovery is excellent.
"I am so pleased to report that my recovery will be 100 percent and that I have been told that I am otherwise cancer-free," Tisdale said.
On the website, the 42-year-old Tisdale said he broke the leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles last month. After the injury, Tisdale said doctors determined the cyst was the cause of the injury and removed it.
Allen to have surgery April 7
SEATTLE -- All-Star guard Ray Allen will have surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle on April 7.
Dr. Richard Ferkel will perform the surgery in Los Angeles.
Allen also wants to have his right ankle cleaned out, but it hasn't been determined if both operations will be done at the same time. Ferkel did surgery on Allen's right ankle in 2003.
"I'd rather get it done all at once and get it taken care of," Allen said.
Unable to tolerate the pain anymore and concerned about doing further damage, Allen decided last Sunday he would undergo surgery on the ankle. Allen had been bothered by the ankle since early February, but didn't reveal the injury until March 1. Allen was averaging a career-high 26.4 points and made his seventh All-Star appearance last month.
Randolph has hand surgery
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph had surgery on his right hand and will miss the final 10 games of the season.
Randolph, the Trail Blazers' top scorer and rebounder, hurt his hand during a 94-93 loss at Minnesota last Sunday. The injury was not apparent in Thursday night's 96-92 home loss to Memphis, when Randolph scored a career-high 43 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds while playing with his hand taped.
The surgery Friday removed bone fragments and repaired ligaments. Randolph will be in a cast for about five weeks, the team announced.
Randolph averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in 68 games this season. He had three games with 40 or more points.
Knicks' Richardson done for year
NEW YORK -- Knicks forward Quentin Richardson will miss the rest of the season after having back surgery.
The Knicks announced that Richardson had a successful microdiskectomy Thursday in Miami. The procedure, which removes fragments from a herniated disk, comes with a recovery time of about three months.
Dr. Barth Green, who performed the operation at UM-Jackson Memorial Hospital, said Richardson "is expected to resume a normal NBA career."
Richardson has missed the last seven games because of his chronic back trouble. He was limited to only 55 games last season, his first in New York, and will finish this one with an average of 13 points in 49 games.
