Pacers F Bender undergoes surgery on left knee

[ducks]

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) - Indiana Pacers forward Jonathan Bender is expected to miss four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday.

Bender's projected recovery time would bring him back sometime around the start of the season. The Pacers open their 2003-04 campaign at Detroit on October 29.

The surgery was performed because Bender recently had developed swelling in the knee. The procedure was deemed a success by Pacers team physician Dr. Sanford Kunkel.

In four seasons with Indiana since jumping to the NBA out of high school, the 22-year-old Bender has averaged 5.5 points per game, starting 27 of the 207 contests in which he has appeared. The 7-footer averaged a career-high 1.2 blocks per game last season in 17.8 minutes.link

[Pooh]

He'll be ready for the season opener in a month. Thanks for posting Ducks, don't be a stranger on here.

[ducks]

I will try not to be. some days I have time to post others I do not

[IBleedPurple84]

I can never hear about him without thinking of the line from the Breakfast Club... "You go see John Bender in 10 years, and I'll show you who's in'."

Pooh.....Richardson?