Kori Ellis
05-15-2005, 12:10 AM
Toe injury bugs Sonics' Lewis
Web Posted: 05/15/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051505.11C.BKNsonics.lewis.275894dfa.html
SEATTLE — Sitting on a treatment table in trainer Mike Shimensky's office at KeyArena during the fourth quarter of Thursday's Game 3, Seattle's Rashard Lewis had a little conversation with the left big toe he had just sprained.
"I was so frustrated when I injured it and went back in the locker room," said the All-Star forward, who put the odds on his return for today's Game 4 against the Spurs at "more than 50-50."
"I'm looking at my big toe, thinking, 'Dang, what else could it be? My (expletive) toe is hurt?'"
Relatively speaking, a toe injury might seem minor. But any athletic trainer or podiatrist can tell you how vital a big toe is to athletic movement.
"People don't realize your toe is something you need every day, whether you're playing basketball or you're just walking over here to interview me," Lewis said. "And especially to run and jump. If you can barely walk on it, it's going to be tough to run and jump."
And as of the end of an interview session after the Sonics' practice Saturday, Lewis definitely could not walk without discomfort. That was evident to any observer.
Lewis may be a 50-50 proposition to suit up for Game 4, but the Sonics got one piece of good news: Power forward Reggie Evans, who left Game 3 with back spasms, declared himself ready to play after two days of intense treatment.
Were today's game a regular-season contest and not the Western Conference semifinals, Lewis said he would not even consider playing.
The stakes today make all the difference.
Lewis' fellow All-Star teammate, Ray Allen, played Games2 and 3 on a sprained right ankle. Allen said the importance of Game 4 would influence Lewis' decision.
"Right now in our playoff lives we have two games left," Allen said. "We have two games to bow out or two games that we can go on and make this thing serious. But we have to win on their floor. And this could be our last game in our building. So however we've got to do it, we've got to get it done.
"We have an incredible opportunity to make it happen, and I would expect (Rashard) knows that, that whatever we have to do to get out on the floor, we have to do it."
Lewis clearly understands.
"This is do-or-die time," he said. "If I don't try to get out there to help my teammates, I don't know how to put it ... we're down 2-1 and in a position to get eliminated, and I don't want to put my teammates in that position."
While Sonics coach Nate McMillan clearly would prefer to have Lewis healthy and ready to play, he might find himself entrusting his team's fate to an injured player whose performance in the first three games already had called into question his relative importance. The team's No. 2 scorer during the regular season, Lewis has made only 19 of 46 shots, 41.3 percent, in the first three games of the series. Worse yet: After making 40percent of his 432 regular season 3-point shots, he has missed all 10 of his long-range attempts.
McMillan said he will let Lewis decide if he can give it a go in the critical game, understanding courage can't overcome physical limitations, and aware he will need to substitute quickly if it is evident Lewis' effectiveness has been compromised.
"If there's a chance he can run on that foot before the game, then maybe we get in the scenario where we have to decide to limit his minutes," McMillan said. "But he has to make that decision that he's not going to go, not going to give it a try."
Lewis said he has considered all manner of means to get him on the court for Game 4, from putting a piece of metal in his sneaker to wrapping the sore toe "like a cast" and wearing a larger size shoe.
He knows he will not be himself, under the best of circumstances.
"I know I'm going to be limited," Lewis said, "so maybe just having my presence out there is what I'm going to have to do. Hopefully just be there."
Web Posted: 05/15/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA051505.11C.BKNsonics.lewis.275894dfa.html
SEATTLE — Sitting on a treatment table in trainer Mike Shimensky's office at KeyArena during the fourth quarter of Thursday's Game 3, Seattle's Rashard Lewis had a little conversation with the left big toe he had just sprained.
"I was so frustrated when I injured it and went back in the locker room," said the All-Star forward, who put the odds on his return for today's Game 4 against the Spurs at "more than 50-50."
"I'm looking at my big toe, thinking, 'Dang, what else could it be? My (expletive) toe is hurt?'"
Relatively speaking, a toe injury might seem minor. But any athletic trainer or podiatrist can tell you how vital a big toe is to athletic movement.
"People don't realize your toe is something you need every day, whether you're playing basketball or you're just walking over here to interview me," Lewis said. "And especially to run and jump. If you can barely walk on it, it's going to be tough to run and jump."
And as of the end of an interview session after the Sonics' practice Saturday, Lewis definitely could not walk without discomfort. That was evident to any observer.
Lewis may be a 50-50 proposition to suit up for Game 4, but the Sonics got one piece of good news: Power forward Reggie Evans, who left Game 3 with back spasms, declared himself ready to play after two days of intense treatment.
Were today's game a regular-season contest and not the Western Conference semifinals, Lewis said he would not even consider playing.
The stakes today make all the difference.
Lewis' fellow All-Star teammate, Ray Allen, played Games2 and 3 on a sprained right ankle. Allen said the importance of Game 4 would influence Lewis' decision.
"Right now in our playoff lives we have two games left," Allen said. "We have two games to bow out or two games that we can go on and make this thing serious. But we have to win on their floor. And this could be our last game in our building. So however we've got to do it, we've got to get it done.
"We have an incredible opportunity to make it happen, and I would expect (Rashard) knows that, that whatever we have to do to get out on the floor, we have to do it."
Lewis clearly understands.
"This is do-or-die time," he said. "If I don't try to get out there to help my teammates, I don't know how to put it ... we're down 2-1 and in a position to get eliminated, and I don't want to put my teammates in that position."
While Sonics coach Nate McMillan clearly would prefer to have Lewis healthy and ready to play, he might find himself entrusting his team's fate to an injured player whose performance in the first three games already had called into question his relative importance. The team's No. 2 scorer during the regular season, Lewis has made only 19 of 46 shots, 41.3 percent, in the first three games of the series. Worse yet: After making 40percent of his 432 regular season 3-point shots, he has missed all 10 of his long-range attempts.
McMillan said he will let Lewis decide if he can give it a go in the critical game, understanding courage can't overcome physical limitations, and aware he will need to substitute quickly if it is evident Lewis' effectiveness has been compromised.
"If there's a chance he can run on that foot before the game, then maybe we get in the scenario where we have to decide to limit his minutes," McMillan said. "But he has to make that decision that he's not going to go, not going to give it a try."
Lewis said he has considered all manner of means to get him on the court for Game 4, from putting a piece of metal in his sneaker to wrapping the sore toe "like a cast" and wearing a larger size shoe.
He knows he will not be himself, under the best of circumstances.
"I know I'm going to be limited," Lewis said, "so maybe just having my presence out there is what I'm going to have to do. Hopefully just be there."