NBA notebook: Oladipo (quad) out for season

[January 25, 2019]  Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo will have surgery to repair a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced Thursday.

The injury occurred during the second quarter of Indiana's 110-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. Oladipo's leg bent awkwardly as he fell to the floor trying to disrupt an outlet pass to the Raptors' Pascal Siakam and he left the court on a stretcher.

An MRI on Thursday revealed the extent of the damage. In 36 games this season, Oladipo averaged 18.8 points per game and set career highs in rebounding (5.6) and assists (5.2).

--Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the team captains at the 2019 NBA All-Star Game after leading their respective conferences in voting.

Joining them as starters will be Golden State Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets guard James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard and Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker, who is the only first-time starter among the 10.

The starters' selections were a product of voting from the fans (50 percent), players (25 percent) and media (25 percent), with fan votes serving as the tiebreaker. George won a tiebreaker for the West's third frontcourt starting spot over the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis.

--Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is seeing specialists to determine whether he needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to multiple reports.

Former NBA player and current Fox Sports analyst Caron Butler reports Dinwiddie is expected to miss four to six weeks after receiving a second evaluation. Dinwiddie is officially listed as questionable for the Nets' game Friday against the New York Knicks.

It's unclear when Dinwiddie was hurt. He finished Wednesday's game against the Orlando Magic, scoring 29 points in 30 minutes while making 10 of 17 attempts from the field in the 114-110 victory. The 25-year-old is averaging 17.2 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds while playing all 49 games this season.

--Chris Paul practiced Thursday and was upgraded to questionable for the Rockets game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday in Houston.

Paul has been sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring injury since leaving Houston's Dec. 20 game.

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) is guarded by Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the first quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Mike D'Antoni is putting the decision primarily in the hands of Paul. "If it's not Friday (against the Raptors), it's Sunday (against the Magic)," D'Antoni said. "If it's not Sunday, it's Monday (against the Pelicans). But it's close."

--The New York Knicks have made Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee available in trade talks ahead of the Feb. 7 deadline, the New York Times reported.

The report noted that the Knicks' motive for trading the two guards is "largely financial," and the trades would give the team the salary-cap space needed to go after top-tier free agents such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker this summer.

Per the Times, center Enes Kanter is also on the trade block, though his expiring contract is less of a priority to move than the longer-term salaries of Hardaway and Lee. Kanter has been vocal over the last week about his unhappiness with his shrinking role.

--The NBA fined Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker $25,000 for pushing Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng in the face on Tuesday night.

Booker was fined for "escalating an on-court altercation," according to the statement released by NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe.

The incident occurred during a deadball situation with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter of the Timberwolves' 118-91 victory in Phoenix. Both players were assessed technical fouls and ejected.

--The Memphis Grizzlies signed forward Bruno Caboclo to a 10-day contract to help bolster a lineup beset by injuries.

The 6-foot-9 Caboclo is a call-up from the NBA's G League Rio Grande Valley, an affiliate of the Houston Rockets, where he was averaging 16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in 28 games.

--Field Level Media

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