Yao hurts knee in Rockets loss to Clips

Yao Ming's broken right leg means the Houston Rockets face a major battle to keep what has been a promising season on track.

Mark Adickes and Hussein Elkousy, Team Physicians of the Houston Rockets, sit with Yao Ming(C) of the Houston Rockets after he injured his right knee at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Yao's broken right leg means the Houston Rockets face a major battle to keep what has been a promising season on track.[AFP]

In the first quarter of a Saturday loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the star Chinese center suffered a fracture on the front of his right anteria tibia, a weight-bearing spot where the knee connects to the legbone.

Yao will be sidelined for at least six weeks and could miss more time if surgery is required.

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Team officials were hopeful that no operation would be needed but said they could only wait and see how rest affects the break.

"Six weeks minimum. That means it could be more," Rockets guard Rafer Alston told the Houston Chronicle. "You're talking about a guy on a MVP pace that has been carrying this team the past two seasons.

"To hear that, it hurts."

Yao, 26, was in the midst of his finest NBA season, averaging 26.8 points and 9.7 rebounds a game.

When star guard Tracy McGrady was sidelined by back spasms seven games ago, Yao stepped up and became an aggressive, dominating leader.

Now he will need a strong rehabilitation effort to have any hope at regaining his superstar form. But should his teammates build upon the club's 16-11 start, he could yet have the chance to lead the Rockets in the playoffs.

The injury came when Clippers forward Tim Thomas drove to the basket and Yao and teammate Chuck Hayes moved to block the shot. Thomas ran into Hayes and both hit Yao, sending him to the floor in pain.

"I didn't know anything happened at all. I heard somebody yelling and turned around, and it was Yao. I saw he wasn't getting up and knew it was serious," Hayes told the newspaper.

"When he hit the ground, I was looking at him. You can tell sometimes the way a player reacts. He was yelling and screaming and I was hoping that it wasn't the worst."

If the prognosis is correct, Yao will miss at least 18 games and return in early February, possibly in time to play in the NBA All-Star Game. Voters have elected him a starter in his first four NBA seasons.

Yao missed 21 games last season with a big toe injury and four more with a broken left foot. McGrady missed much of the season as well and the Rockets struggled to 34-48. The same fate could befall Houston again this time.

"Things like this happen, but I can't help but think about the previous season," Alston said.