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http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050407/SPORTS/504070351/1002
ORLANDO - There was resignation in Grant Hill's voice, but he couldn't bring himself to say what has become painfully obvious: The Orlando Magic all-star forward likely has played his last game this season.
Hill underwent another bone scan on his bruised left shin on Wednesday and he is expecting that he will have to return to Duke University Medical Center later this week to be examined by Dr. James Nunley, the surgeon who performed the fourth surgery on his troublesome left ankle.
Hill, who missed his third consecutive game Wednesday against Chicago, has been bothered by pain in his left shin for the past month, an injury that he says happened when he was accidentally kicked Feb. 26 against the Miami Heat. Hill says there is irritation and a knot in the area where there is a metal plate connecting his shin and ankle.
"I'm going to be careful. One thing that I've learned is being careful," said Hill, who last played on Friday, but had to sit out the fourth quarter of the loss to Washington because of soreness in his shin. "I still don't want to rule out the possibility of what can happen the next two weeks, but there is also a strong possibility that (not playing) could happen."
Hill's comeback has been the feel-good story of the NBA this season. He is second on the Magic in scoring, averaging 19.7 points on 50.9 percent shooting. He was voted a starter for the NBA All-Star Game, his first such appearance in the game since 2000. He played just 47 games the previous four seasons after needing five surgeries to repair his fractured left ankle.
Magic coach Chris Jent admitted that the odds are good that Hill has played his last game this season. Jent said that he's noticed Hill has even altered his walk of late because of the pain in his shin.
"I wouldn't expect him to play again if he continues to have the same kind of pain that he's had lately," Jent said. "The risk is just too great that this injury could become even worse.
"It doesn't (make sense for him to return) if he's still hurting. The crazy thing about his shin is that one day he wakes up and it feels fine. But this particular time it just hasn't gone away, even with the rest it hasn't gone away."
The Magic shipped the films of the CT scan to Duke for Nunley to examine, and expect to hear a diagnosis by today. But Hill figures that he will be summoned to North Carolina to meet with Nunley. He met with Nunley two weeks ago when the Magic were in Charlotte, and Hill was assured there was no structural damage to his ankle.
Nunley performed the fourth and most extensive surgery Hill had on his ankle. Hill's heal was broken and his ankle was aligned with his lower leg, a procedure that was performed in hopes of taking the pressure off the original fracture site on the inside of his ankle.
"I'll probably know more (today), and I'll probably end up going to Duke," said Hill, who has missed eight games this season, six because of the left shin bruise. "The doctor, I'm sure, will want to see me. It's one thing to see films, but another for a doctor to actually see and touch you. I'm assuming he'll want to do that."
ORLANDO - There was resignation in Grant Hill's voice, but he couldn't bring himself to say what has become painfully obvious: The Orlando Magic all-star forward likely has played his last game this season.
Hill underwent another bone scan on his bruised left shin on Wednesday and he is expecting that he will have to return to Duke University Medical Center later this week to be examined by Dr. James Nunley, the surgeon who performed the fourth surgery on his troublesome left ankle.
Hill, who missed his third consecutive game Wednesday against Chicago, has been bothered by pain in his left shin for the past month, an injury that he says happened when he was accidentally kicked Feb. 26 against the Miami Heat. Hill says there is irritation and a knot in the area where there is a metal plate connecting his shin and ankle.
"I'm going to be careful. One thing that I've learned is being careful," said Hill, who last played on Friday, but had to sit out the fourth quarter of the loss to Washington because of soreness in his shin. "I still don't want to rule out the possibility of what can happen the next two weeks, but there is also a strong possibility that (not playing) could happen."
Hill's comeback has been the feel-good story of the NBA this season. He is second on the Magic in scoring, averaging 19.7 points on 50.9 percent shooting. He was voted a starter for the NBA All-Star Game, his first such appearance in the game since 2000. He played just 47 games the previous four seasons after needing five surgeries to repair his fractured left ankle.
Magic coach Chris Jent admitted that the odds are good that Hill has played his last game this season. Jent said that he's noticed Hill has even altered his walk of late because of the pain in his shin.
"I wouldn't expect him to play again if he continues to have the same kind of pain that he's had lately," Jent said. "The risk is just too great that this injury could become even worse.
"It doesn't (make sense for him to return) if he's still hurting. The crazy thing about his shin is that one day he wakes up and it feels fine. But this particular time it just hasn't gone away, even with the rest it hasn't gone away."
The Magic shipped the films of the CT scan to Duke for Nunley to examine, and expect to hear a diagnosis by today. But Hill figures that he will be summoned to North Carolina to meet with Nunley. He met with Nunley two weeks ago when the Magic were in Charlotte, and Hill was assured there was no structural damage to his ankle.
Nunley performed the fourth and most extensive surgery Hill had on his ankle. Hill's heal was broken and his ankle was aligned with his lower leg, a procedure that was performed in hopes of taking the pressure off the original fracture site on the inside of his ankle.
"I'll probably know more (today), and I'll probably end up going to Duke," said Hill, who has missed eight games this season, six because of the left shin bruise. "The doctor, I'm sure, will want to see me. It's one thing to see films, but another for a doctor to actually see and touch you. I'm assuming he'll want to do that."
