http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ED?SITE=TXHOU&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James will wear a mask to protect a broken bone in his face, but Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said Thursday he hopes the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year won't miss any games. James fractured his left cheekbone and got a mild concussion after he was accidentally elbowed by Houston center Dikembe Mutombo in the second quarter of the Rockets' 98-87 victory Wednesday night. James, who told Silas that he briefly lost consciousness after being hit, will be fitted with the protective mask once the swelling in his face goes down. The coach was relieved the injury wasn't more serious and thinks Cleveland's leading scorer will be back Monday at Charlotte. "I am so happy. That's the best present I could have received," Silas said. "Your worst fear is that he's going to be out a long time. If they had to operate, he could have been out four to five weeks." James, who turned 20 Thursday, was at home resting. He was moving across the lane on defense when he ran into the 7-foot-2 Mutombo, whose sharp elbows have dropped more than a few NBA players over the years. James immediately fell to the floor, covered his eyes and kicked his feet in obvious pain while lying face down as play continued. When Houston scored, the officials stopped the action, and Cleveland's medical staff rushed out to help James, who had to be helped off the court as he held a towel against his head. As he walked into the Cavs' locker room with a hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head, James looked like a beaten boxer. Mutombo felt bad about what happened. "I never saw him," Mutombo said. "The next thing I know - Boom! He was laying on the floor. I hope it's not too bad." James was coming off a 40-point performance in a win at Atlanta on Tuesday. He's averaging 25.2 points but had a career-low three points - all on free throws - with three rebounds and five assists before getting hurt Wednesday
At least we have a legitimate enforcer. Perhaps the only player on the whole team who knows his role.
Hey at least Eric Snow fore-warned his team mates about the destructive nature of the Deke's elbow. I hope someone learnt a lesson. Best wishes to the Bron_Man and happy birthday.
Our win comes first, but I really like Bron and wanted to see T-Mac take him to school more than he already was last night
I had a similar injury (knee instead of Mutombo's elbow) in college. Shattered my sinus cavity under my eye. Felt like I had a cold for months, and the eye was deep black for at least a few weeks. Ouch! Hopefully, LeBron won't need surgery to reconstruct the bone. Evan
Mutombo's Bday Present to Lebron Happy birthday Lebron, you have to wear a mask for a while thanks to our beloved Deke. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/12/30/james.ap/index.html
Man, Deke has been messing up people for too long. He needs to be suspended for the rest of the season or at least brought up on criminal charges for that crap! Oh, wait a minute, he plays for our Rockets now. Way to go Deke!
I remember Deke's elbow inadvertently hit Yao's throat when he was playing for the Nets. I dont know if Yao still mentions that to Deke. Last night's accident however was just unfortunate. Deke went for the loose ball and Bron was the one that initiated the contact. I hope Bron will be ok though, dont miss any games.
Ha ha, well, it was clearly an accident. LeBron was chasing the ball, and there's no way in hell the Ancient One could have hoped to move fast enough to get out that dude's way in time. I'll take the W!
I wish the Rockets would have thrown the ball out of bounds so Lebron could have received medical attention ASAP.
It is not the norm in NBA. One position could mean 2-3 points. If Cavs were worried, they could have fouled any Rockets player to stop the clock. In soccer, they would kick the ball out of bound to stop the play. Once the injured player is cleared of the field, they get the ball back simply from the other side.
This is cold, but the Rockets now have a "secret" weapon, to clear out the lane send in Mutombo, opposing players will scatter! If he will teach a few of these tricks to Ming, the lane will be a better place to live. This was a basic rebounding technique I was taught in grade school.
The norm starts somewhere. I would not consider losing by 2-3 points to be worth more than a little courtesy.
Those 2-3 points could have resulted in a 1-2 point loss. Would you consider losing the game that cost the Rockets the playoffs worth shaving 3-4 seconds off the time it took the medical staff to get to Lebron? It was an unfortunate accident and I wish Lebron a speedy recovery, but sorry, you don't know how that one possession could affect an entire season.
