Bum knee shelves Rodman until playoffs
Kukoc returns to Bulls, who lose Rodman until playoffs
MULTIMEDIA
Bulls coach Phil Jackson says the injury to Rodman may force Toni Kukoc back into action earlier than expected.
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Bill Wennington knows that being out of the lineup will be frustrating for Rodman.
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Bulls general manager Jerry Krause says Rodman won't be back until the playoffs.
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Alonzo Mourning thinks the Bulls can be beaten if Rodman isn't full strength for the playoffs. (Courtesy: WSVN)
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CHICAGO Bulls general manager Jerry Krause said Wednesday that Rodman had a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, sidelining him for the final 13 games of the regular season.
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"We expect him back for the playoffs," Krause said. "He'll be on crutches, he'll be in a brace the next couple of days. We'll limit his activities the next couple of days and start therapy a couple of days from now. We'll take every precaution with it."
The injury will keep Rodman out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season, which ends April 20. The five-time defending rebounding champion has sat out 14 games this season, but none because of injury.
A Bulls spokeswoman said Rodman was not placed on the injured list, which already includes forward Toni Kukoc. She did not know any details of Rodman's rehabilitation.
After attending the Academy Awards in Hollywood on Monday night, Rodman grabbed 21 rebounds Tuesday against the Mavericks. But with three seconds remaining in the game, he bumped knees with Dallas forward A.C. Green. Rodman tested the knee before gingerly walking off the court.
The defending NBA champion Bulls are 60-9 and are threatening to win 70 games for the second consecutive season. Their next four games are against teams with losing records, but they do visit Orlando, New York, Miami and Detroit before closing the regular season with a home game against New York.
Rodman, 35, has been sidelined by three separate suspensions this season. The Bulls are 12-2 without him, but in the games he has played, he has reached double figures in rebounds all but once and led the club in boards all but twice.
He again is leading the league in rebounding this season, pulling down 16.1 boards a game. His fine play on the court has been overshadowed by several incidents of bad behavior. Earlier this season, he served an 11-game suspension for kicking a courtside cameraman.
During that suspension, Rodman met with Stern, who warned that another display similar to the one involving the cameraman could result in banishment and the end of Rodman's NBA career.
In December, Rodman was suspended for two games by the Bulls for a profanity-laced tirade that was carried on live television after a loss to Toronto. In March, he was suspended one contest by the NBA for slapping Milwaukee Bucks forward Joe Wolf in the groin.
