Tim Duncan Cleared to Play

By Thomas Keppeler, Knee1 Staff

When Tim Duncan fell to the floor in Utah Monday night clutching his left knee, team officials, doctors and fans all cringed. Duncan, the forward and center for the San Antonio Spurs and league leader in double-doubles, gave everyone quite a fright on Monday.

Duncan underwent surgery last year to repair a tear in his meniscus. As he went down to the parquet Monday night, the old fears about the health of his knee resurfaced.

Duncan, who returned to the game shortly after the surgery to lead the Spurs in scoring, rebounds, and minutes played, left Monday's game. However, after further analysis, doctors deemed the injury a hyperextension—his overstraightened—and Duncan was cleared to play again.

According to the Sporting News, Duncan says his knee still feels unreliable—bad news for a player fond of driving up the middle. However, the injury requires no surgery, and though the 7-foot, 260-pound center will likely undergo some strengthening to prevent further injury, his left knee will not presently take him out of the game.