Chron: Yao's sore toe takes turn for worse

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3534030.html

Dec. 19, 2005, 12:24AM
Yao's sore toe takes turn for worse
Rockets expect absence could last seven to 10 days

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

LOS ANGELES - Yao Ming removed his foot from the solution with which he treats it before and after every game, grimacing in pain or at the appearance of his right big toe and its dark and broken nail.

"It's getting worse every day," he said Saturday.

But a moment later, when asked if it would force him to miss playing time, he made that same pained expression.

"I'm playing," he said as if he would consider nothing else. "I will play."

Yao had missed just two games in the first three seasons of his NBA career, often refusing to let an injury keep him out. But a day later, he was given no choice.

He was sent back to Houston on Sunday, missing the finale of the Rockets' road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers with a doctors' appointment scheduled for today to determine a course of treatment and how long he would be out.

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said Yao is expected to miss seven to 10 days.

Rockets trainer Keith Jones would not discuss the condition of Yao's toe, other than to call it "sore." But coach Jeff Van Gundy said "it is not a one-game thing, I know that. It will probably be a multiple-game thing."

Yao, 25, had removed the nail from that toe after the 2003-04 season, and has had trouble with it since. He missed two preseason games this season when the nail fell off, but he has never missed a regular-season game because of it. Though the Rockets would not offer specifics about Yao's condition, he treats the toe with Betadine, indicating he had an infection.

With the team scheduled to return to Houston today, Van Gundy said Yao was sent home a day early to begin treatment and rehabilitation.

"We'll know more after he sees the doctor," Van Gundy said. "He's had it for a long time. It has to do with his toenail and having his toenail removed."

With Yao out, Dikembe Mutombo started Sunday in the Rockets' 76-74 win over the Lakers. He had two points and nine rebounds in a season-high 32 minutes. He left the court with 4:51 left due to a dislocated and lacerated finger on his left hand.

Mutombo had seemed to be emerging from his slow start this season on the road trip, getting nine rebounds with seven points in 18 minutes against Portland and five points, three blocked shots and five rebounds in 12 minutes a night later against Golden State.

But in the next two games, against Seattle and the Los Angeles Clippers, Mutombo averaged one point and 1.5 rebounds, playing 11 minutes in each game.

"We need him," Van Gundy said. "We've needed him the whole year.

"He needs to play. It's important that he performs, that he remembers what we're doing on set plays, that he's in the right coverage on pick-and-rolls, that he plays an alert, aggressive game."

jonathan.feigen@chron.com