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Groin strain leaves Davis questionable Posted: Saturday May 03, 2003 7:23 PMPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Portland Trail Blazers veteran center Dale Davis didn't practice Saturday because of a groin strain and was uncertain for Sunday's Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks. Davis went down early in the Blazers' 125-103 Game 6 rout of the Mavericks Friday night. He was running down court when he suddenly stopped, wincing in pain. The 6-foot-11 starter limped to the locker room and did not return. The Blazers said Saturday that Davis would travel with the team to Dallas but was a game-time decision for Sunday. "Dale's going to do everything he can to get in that seventh game," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We certainly would be missing something big if he wasn't out there on the floor. He's our warrior." Davis is the latest Trail Blazer to fall victim to injury: Portland's only game at full strength was the series opener. But the Blazers have overcome the spate of injuries during their dramatic first-round series, which Portland evened after falling behind 0-3. No other team in NBA history has ever won a best-of-seven series after dropping the first three games, and only two other teams have forced a Game 7. The Blazers lost starting guard Derek Anderson in Game 2 with torn cartilage in his left knee that required surgery. Anderson participated in light drills with the team on Friday but a timetable for his return -- should the Blazers advance to the second round -- was uncertain. And while the Trail Blazers had team leader Scottie Pippen for 35 minutes in the opener, he missed the next three games with pain and swelling in his surgically repaired left knee. Pippen, a 16-year veteran with six championship rings, had arthroscopic surgery on March 18. He missed 17 games down the stretch, then returned for the final two of the regular season -- even though the knee was still giving him trouble. Pippen returned to the playoff series for Game 5 in Dallas and sparked the offense in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind 103-99 Portland victory. He was used only sparingly in Game 6 because the Blazers had built such a commanding first-half lead that the team didn't need him. He did play for seven minutes in the second half, scoring four points, in an effort to get back some of the rhythm he lost while watching from the bench. If Davis is unable to play, the Blazers will have to rely more heavily on reserves Ruben Patterson and 7-foot-3 Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis. Sabonis, who took last season off before returning to the Blazers, has provided offensive energy for the Blazers off the bench during the series -- although he also struggled with injury and didn't play Game 4 because of back spasms. After Davis left Friday night's game, Sabonis had 16 points and eight rebounds in 12 minutes for the Blazers. He said he hasn't yet been told whether he'll be needed in additional minutes for Game 7. "I don't know, we'll see," Sabonis said. "How many we need, I'll play." |
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