Cavs PG Rubio out rest of season
Point guard Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending left knee injury, a devastating blow to a Cavaliers team that he helped moved into playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs said an MRI taken Wednesday confirmed a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which was feared after Rubio got hurt late in Tuesday’s 108-104 road loss the Pelicans.
The 31-year-old Rubio had a big impact in his first season with Cavs, providing leadership and depth to a young squad. They’ve won 20 games after going 22-50 last season.
Rubio’s injury is the second significant one to the Cavs’ backcourt. Collin Sexton suffered a season-ending knee injury Nov. 7. At the time, Sexton was the team’s leading scorer.
Rubio, on a one-year deal with the Cavs, averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 34 games this season.
It’s the second time Rubio has torn his left ACL.
PG Kyrie Irving practiced with the Nets for the first time since the preseason. Irving hasn’t been with the Nets on a regular basis since practicing with the team for a week in San Diego during training camp in early October. With New York City mandating that players get vaccinated in order to play at Barclays Center, the Nets in October decided against having Irving be with the team for road games and practices as well. But with the team decimated recently by a COVID outbreak, Nets management decided to bring Irving back for road games. Irving went into the league’s health and safety protocols the day after and cleared protocols, along with Kevin Durant and Lamarcus Aldridge, on Tuesday. Durant and Aldridge also practiced Wednesday. Coach Steve Nash has said that the 29-yearold Irving will need to ramp up for a week or two before he can play in a road game . ... Former All-star G Isaiah Thomas agreed to a 10-day hardship deal with the Coviddecimated Mavericks. Thomas, 32, averaged 9.3 points in four games for the Lakers on a hardship deal earlier this month.
College basketball: ESPN analyst Dick Vitale will rest his voice and be away from game broadcasts for the foreseeable future. Vitale, 82, said he recently met with a throat specialist who diagnosed him with “pre-cancerous Dysplasia on the vocal cords.” Vitale, who has undergone cancer treatments this year, said the latest condition is not life-threatening.
Hockey: The NHL is modifying its COVID19 protocols, shortening the standard isolation period for players who test positive for the virus from 10 days to five days, ESPN reported. The updated protocols align with new CDC recommendations . ... Canadiens first-round pick Logan Mailloux will be reinstated to the Ontario Hockey League on Saturday. Mailloux, 18, was suspended indefinitely by the OHL on Sept. 2 because of an incident that took place while the defenseman was on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden in November 2020. He was fined by Swedish authorities after admitting to two charges related to sharing, without her consent, a photo of a woman during sex. ... The IIHF canceled the remainder of its 2022 World Junior Championship because of a rising number of COVID cases among players. Three tournament games had been forfeited in the last 24 hours because of positive tests.