Injury blow to Bogut, Bucks

Just as the Milwaukee Bucks began to get healthy, win games and move into the top eight in the Eastern Conference, they lost center Andrew Bogut for eight to 12 weeks with a broken left foot.

“I know he put forth a lot of work in the offseason to get himself ready and have a productive year,” Bucks general manager John Hammond said.

Two seasons ago, Bogut lost 49 games with a dislocated right elbow, broken right hand and sprained right wrist. Last season, 14 Bucks missed 275 games. This season, forwards Luc Mbah a Moute and Mike Dunleavy,

guard Beno Udrih and Bogut have missed a combined 33.

“How soon we’ll do something (in Bogut’s absence), if anything, we don’t know,” Hammond said.

-B-cks guard Stephen Jackson sat out Saturday’s win vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on league suspension for verbally abusing a referee and failing to leave the court promptly during Friday’s

loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The New Orleans Hornets won’t play center Chris Kaman as they try to trade him, GM Dell Demps said. Kaman came in the deal that sent guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets, owned by the NBA, are looking for a first-round pick and an expiring contract. ... Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson (concussion-like symptoms) sat out Sunday vs. the Indiana Pacers and won’t play today at the Philadelphia 76ers after taking a blow to the jaw in Friday’s loss at the Hornets. ... Houston Rockets guard Courtney Lee escaped injury Saturday after his vehicle was hit by another following a win vs. the New York Knicks. . . . Toronto Raptors leading scorer Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf) is out indefinitely. ... Clippers guard Chauncey Billups faced the Denver Nuggets on Sunday for the first time since the team dealt him to the Knicks last year. . . . Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen started Sunday vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing three games because of a sore ankle.