Blazers F Nicolas Batum Left Knee Injury: MRI Negative, Bone Contusion, Day-To-Day

by Ben Golliver on Jan 28, 2011 9:53 AM PST in News

The Portland Trail Blazers have announced that an MRI conducted on forward Nicolas Batum's left knee Friday morning came back negative and that "he has a bone contusion and is listed as day to day." The Blazers next play against the San Antonio Spurs in the Rose Garden on Tuesday night.

Batum injured the knee during the second quarter of Thursday night's game against the Boston Celtics while defending a drive by Celtics forward Paul Pierce. Here's video of the play.

Batum is averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his third NBA season. He missed much of last year with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Word of a clean MRI first came out on Twitter via @sophiabiabia and Jason Quick of The Oregonian here.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Tweet Comment 51 comments | 1 recs |

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Comments

thank god!

I'd still honk once!

by bklynblazr on Jan 28, 2011 9:54 AM PST reply actions

Is it sad that this is the best news that the Blazers have had all season??

Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.

by jenstcy on Jan 28, 2011 9:54 AM PST reply actions

yes. yes it is.

I'd still honk once!

by bklynblazr on Jan 28, 2011 9:55 AM PST up reply actions

THANK. YOU. SWEET JESUS.

all that praying payed off— thanks to you, margaret!

"If you've got the hoops version of love handles they'll expose them mercilessly." - Dave

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 28, 2011 9:56 AM PST via mobile reply actions

It's a Christmas miracle.

by krizzikinz on Jan 28, 2011 9:58 AM PST reply actions

Christmas, Festivus, whatever - just glad to hear this news

by Storyteller on Jan 28, 2011 10:00 AM PST up reply actions

almost Chandeleur

time to cook some crêpes.
btw crêpe means block too

by chuky on Jan 28, 2011 4:17 PM PST up reply actions

Some Sweet

To go with the Sour

Enjoy the Ride

Blunt+Sharp

by DigitalDaggers on Jan 28, 2011 10:00 AM PST reply actions

I've been awake most of the night

Mad, mystrified, mutilated thoughts of what we are doing to make the BB Gods so angry.

Maybe I can rest now.

by BBK on Jan 28, 2011 10:00 AM PST reply actions

Any word on who read the MRI?

I hate to be a downer, but last spring BRoy’s knee MRI was initially reported as a bone bruise. With further evaluation it turned out to be a meniscus tear.

Of course, at the time Brandon knew it was a tear, and this time around Nic’s saying that his injury isn’t serious.

Wiggada Wiggada Zers!

by Corvid on Jan 28, 2011 10:03 AM PST reply actions

camby, too, no?

"If you've got the hoops version of love handles they'll expose them mercilessly." - Dave

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 28, 2011 10:12 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

Yup. The player was correct that time around too.

Wiggada Wiggada Zers!

by Corvid on Jan 28, 2011 10:16 AM PST up reply actions

players know

by Natsthecat on Jan 28, 2011 11:34 AM PST up reply actions

MRI with us..

and I thought last year was ridiculous!!! Are the fortunes of this team finally changing?? Two “negative” MRI’s in row. To me, that’s equivalent to a 10 game winning streak!!

by JAWKS on Jan 28, 2011 10:11 AM PST reply actions

mRISE WITH US.

cut it, print it, send it.

batumshakalaka!

"If you've got the hoops version of love handles they'll expose them mercilessly." - Dave

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 28, 2011 10:14 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 6 recs

that's better than

“rehab with us”

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jan 28, 2011 11:21 AM PST up reply actions

i only have paint, but i like it

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jan 28, 2011 11:33 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

MRI's WITH US

still rhymes…

by SaveOden on Jan 28, 2011 2:08 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

lol

i was thinking the same.

has the curse been broken?

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jan 28, 2011 10:34 AM PST up reply actions

there is no curse.

by Natsthecat on Jan 28, 2011 11:34 AM PST up reply actions

Denial will not make it go away

I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.

by GMan83201 on Jan 28, 2011 2:38 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

That MRI machine might just organize itself a lockout.

It’s been working overtime.

wha??

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 28, 2011 10:14 AM PST reply actions

zing!

"If you've got the hoops version of love handles they'll expose them mercilessly." - Dave

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 28, 2011 10:15 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

Blazers should just break down and buy an MRI machine....

maybe then they won’t have any use for it!!!

Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.

by jenstcy on Jan 28, 2011 10:18 AM PST up reply actions

In any case, they'll save themselves a lot of expenses in the long run.

\oo///
<
\__/

by NCBlazerfan on Jan 28, 2011 10:20 AM PST up reply actions

during the lockout, it can go overseas next year

especially with all the NBA talent going over there. there’ll be a kneed…

"If you've got the hoops version of love handles they'll expose them mercilessly." - Dave

by Oh. Em. Gee. on Jan 28, 2011 10:28 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

oh no you dit int!

wha??

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 28, 2011 10:31 AM PST up reply actions

I think an MRI would be a great investment....

I had to have one, and they are all booked up at about a two thousand a visit of about 20 minutes… so 6 thousand an hour.
I am wondering “what can the technician make an hour?”, and “why is this thing not going 24 hours?”.
I would have a “midnight madness” sale for the non insured.. half price, and/or cash in advance 25% off… please, give us a break !

If Oden does not give up on the Blazers, we should not give up on him.

by Berkeley on Jan 28, 2011 5:03 PM PST up reply actions

Great news to wake up to!!

Please let this be the turning point.

#52

by bustabucket on Jan 28, 2011 10:20 AM PST reply actions

the entire blazer fanbase lets out a collective sigh of relief

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jan 28, 2011 10:33 AM PST reply actions

Even a member of Blazer management is taking the machine for a spin:

“See? It says here on the punch card:”

10 SCANS AND THE 11th ONE IS ON US!

“Ooh! So THIS is what all the players are getting into. I’ve got it! For next season: RIDE WITH US”

wha??

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 28, 2011 10:36 AM PST reply actions

I hear the blazers have one of these in the shape of the pin-wheel logo..

by JAWKS on Jan 28, 2011 10:41 AM PST up reply actions

Perhaps now the knee demon afflicting the Blazers is finally getting bored.

Maybe the demon is ready to move on to another organization?

by LaughingJon on Jan 28, 2011 10:38 AM PST reply actions

Whew !!

I can breathe again :)

"That team is built to win a championship " ...... Nate McMillan

by FrenchieFan on Jan 28, 2011 10:46 AM PST reply actions

GREAT NEWS!!

BUT THE KNEE TO KNEE WITH RONDO IS WHERE I THINK IT HAPPENED. THAT LOOKED BAD WHEN I 1ST SAW IT.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jan 28, 2011 10:51 AM PST reply actions

I'm not buying it

Batum reported he wanted to jump, but couldn’t jump. Then as he jogged back down the court, his knee looked ‘frozen’ or very stiff.

These aren’t traditional symptoms of a knee contusion (ie, bruise), which typically result in a “tender” feeling knee.

I guess the proof is in the pudding.

I’d wager that he’ll miss 2 games, then spend 2 weeks “getting back up to speed” [imagine Mike Barrett’s voice there], before it comes out he needs a scope.

M, period. Fresh, comma.

by manzell on Jan 28, 2011 10:53 AM PST reply actions

I had the same thought

Its sound a little odd…

by hoodieNation on Jan 28, 2011 11:19 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

A tender knee will make you limp and guard it as well. A stiff leg doesn't mean much if it's due to pain.

One thing to caution is that the force needed to cause the bone bruise had to be transmitted through the articular cartilage and even if the MRI does not show overt cartilage damage, they must take care not to rush him back too soon lest he risks injuring traumatized articular cartilage.

by odenator69 on Jan 28, 2011 11:47 AM PST up reply actions

thank you!

by Natsthecat on Jan 28, 2011 12:05 PM PST up reply actions

for sure, give the man some rest

There should be limits to what we (Nate) is going to try and squeeze out of this team. Even easing up on LaMarcus is warranted. If we lose, so be it. We have a knack for the lottery, I don’t mind that.
Just sayiin, I don’t like losing, but let’s have a balance between winning and keeping our guys healthy.

If Oden does not give up on the Blazers, we should not give up on him.

by Berkeley on Jan 28, 2011 5:09 PM PST up reply actions

some enterprising individual in pdx needs to start

a grassroots movement to exorcise the demons that are haunting our players’ knees.

maybe with a big bonfire in the rose quarter or something.

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jan 28, 2011 10:57 AM PST reply actions

Blame Tanya

This bonfire must be accompanied with an exorcism of the spirits of Tanya Harding and her knee-hatin’ ways.

by NWMike on Jan 28, 2011 12:35 PM PST up reply actions

I'm glad to hear this

but after all that’s happened I’m not ready to buy that it’s just a contusion until I receive more confirmation

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Jan 28, 2011 11:33 AM PST reply actions

Batum's fast break dunk last night was nasty

by BatumFan88 on Jan 28, 2011 12:08 PM PST reply actions

Shakalaka McNasty

by chuky on Jan 28, 2011 4:07 PM PST up reply actions

This is awesome!

This could be the first time in a long time that a blazer hurt his knee, then got his mri and he didnt have a torn meniscus, or acl/mcl. Our luck is changing.

"you better hide your kids, hide your wives, hide your husbands, cuz dey rapin everbody out here "
-Antoine Dodson

by flynn4blazers on Jan 28, 2011 1:02 PM PST reply actions

Contusion: the new most beautiful word in the English language.

by Kaboomm on Jan 28, 2011 1:57 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Knees

I wonder if the Blazers have looked into the surfaces they practice on. The consistency of these injuries are ridiculous, and the fact that everyone is hurting their knees suggests some kind of systemic problem. Maybe their court doesn’t have enough give.

by billazer on Jan 28, 2011 2:23 PM PST reply actions