Cavs’ Varejao done for season
Anderson Varejao’s season rapidly spiraled from a probable All-Star appearance to over.
The Cavaliers’ hustling center, who led the NBA in rebounding before he went down last month with what appeared to be nothing more than a bruised knee, remained hospitalized Monday with a blood clot in his lower right lung, a health scare that will force him to miss the rest of this season.
Varejao, who underwent surgery on a torn leg muscle on Jan. 10, has been at The Cleveland Clinic since last Thursday. The Cavs said he will likely remain in the hospital for several more days as he receives treatment. Varejao is expected to make a full recovery, but he will remain on blood thinning medications for at least three months, the team said Monday.
The loss of the 6-foot-11 Varejao is a crushing blow to the young Cavs, who are just 10-32.
Despite Varejao being admitted to the hospital four days ago, the Cavs did not reveal he was still there until shortly before Monday’s workout at their training facility.
Varejao was having an All-Star-caliber season before he injured his leg on Dec. 18 against Toronto. Team doctors initially diagnosed the injury as a bruise and expected Varejao to make a quick recovery. However, tests revealed an uncommon split in his quadriceps muscle which required an operation. Varejao was expected to be out eight weeks before he developed the blood clot following the surgery.
General manager Chris Grant said the team is “fairly confident” the clot was not a reaction from surgery.
LAKERS MOVE GASOL TO RESERVE ROLE
The struggling Lakers juggled their starting lineup, moving forward Pau Gasol to a reserve role and replacing him with Earl Clark.
Coach Mike D’Antoni made the move before Monday night’s game against the Bulls, hoping a quicker lineup would spark a team that had dropped eight of 10. It comes after Gasol scored 25 points in Sunday’s loss at Toronto.
D’Antoni says he spoke to Gasol and that it’s nothing “against him, it’s better for us right now.”
HORNETS’ DAVIS HURT AGAINST KINGS
New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis injured his left ankle and sat out the second half against Sacramento.
Davis scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and had six rebounds in the first half when the Hornets took a 64-39 lead Monday. It was unclear when the injury occurred, but Davis limped to the locker room at the break.
A stress fracture in the same ankle forced Davis to miss 11 games earlier in the season.