LOS ANGELES (AP) Lakers forward Karl Malone sprained his right knee early in Los Angeles' 99-91 overtime victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night, but played 39 minutes anyway.
Malone missed 39 games during the regular season with the same sprain of his medial collateral ligament. He had nine points and nine rebounds, improving on his four-point performance in the series opener.
Team spokesman John Black said Malone was day-to-day, but the second-leading scorer in NBA's history didn't sound so optimistic.
When asked if he had a sense about Game 3 at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday night, Malone replied: ''No, not really. Not right now.''
Malone had his knee drained June 1 a day after the Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the sixth and final game of the Western Conference finals. He said he was injured earlier in that series.
Malone missed 39 games during the regular season with the same sprain of his medial collateral ligament. He had nine points and nine rebounds, improving on his four-point performance in the series opener.
Team spokesman John Black said Malone was day-to-day, but the second-leading scorer in NBA's history didn't sound so optimistic.
When asked if he had a sense about Game 3 at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday night, Malone replied: ''No, not really. Not right now.''
Malone had his knee drained June 1 a day after the Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the sixth and final game of the Western Conference finals. He said he was injured earlier in that series.
