Derrick Rose has another knee injury _ and he wasn’t the only NBA star to get hurt Friday.
Memphis center Marc Gasol sprained his left knee and Golden State guard Andre Iguodala limped off with a strained left hamstring on another painful night for some of the league’s best players.
They added to a growing list of big names already sidelined this season by one ailment or another, a scroll that includes Deron Williams, Stephen Curry, Steve Nash and Tyson Chandler.
No team has played even 15 games yet in a season that’s 3 1/2 weeks old, and already trainer’s rooms are full.
Ouch!
Not to mention that Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo, both still recovering from surgery, haven’t suited up all season.
Dwyane Wade has been held out of three games as part of Miami’s plan for handling his history of knee issues.
And it only got worse Friday night _ especially for Rose and the Bulls.
The 2011 MVP injured his right knee in the third quarter and did not return during a 98-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, who won their ninth straight game.
Rose, who sat out last season following surgery on his left knee, will have an MRI in Los Angeles on Saturday.
“He was in pain and felt like he couldn’t push off his right knee,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Rose was on crutches in the trainer’s room but was not made available to the media after the Bulls squandered a 21-point lead in their second consecutive loss.
The three-time All-Star led Chicago with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists, but was helped off the court with 3:20 remaining in the third.
He lost his footing while trying to change direction to get back on defense when Nicolas Batum stole a pass from Joakim Noah and started the other way. Rose limped across the court and couldn’t put any weight on his knee. After the Blazers scored, he came out of the game during a timeout.
It didn’t appear there was any contact on the play, but Rose was unable to return.
“I’m concerned,” Thibodeau said. “Anytime anyone goes down, you’re concerned. But I don’t want to speculate until I have more information.”
Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the 2012 playoffs. The top pick in the 2008 draft was averaging 15.4 points this season.
“Hopefully, it’s nothing serious,” teammate Taj Gibson said. “He’s a strong guy. He worked extremely hard this summer trying to get his body right, working out every day.”
Gasol was also expected to have an MRI on Saturday after leaving the Grizzlies’ 102-86 loss to San Antonio early in the second quarter.
The 7-foot-1 center grabbed at his knee while sliding toward the basket on defense, but never went to the floor. He gingerly walked off the court and into the locker room.
Gasol was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Iguodala, who replaced Curry as the Warriors’ point guard, had six points and six assists before limping to the locker room in the third quarter of a 102-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Once I heard a pop, I knew it was serious,” Iguodala said. “This one kind of worries me a little bit. I’ll take it serious, I’m sure. … I’m not even walking right now, so we’re going to have an MRI (on Saturday).”
Sounds familiar.
It was Golden State’s second consecutive defeat without Curry, who missed both games with a concussion. Curry banged his head on the court Monday at Utah.
The Lakers know all about injury absences: Bryant still hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles tendon during Golden State’s last visit to Staples Center in April, while Nash is out for at least another week with nerve root irritation.
But they’re not the only team missing some serious firepower.
The disappointing Brooklyn Nets played without Williams (sprained left ankle), Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms), Brook Lopez (sprained left ankle) and Jason Terry (bruised left knee) in a 111-81 loss at Minnesota on Friday night.
“Everybody’s frustrated,” Kevin Garnett said. “I don’t think there’s a happy person in here or a guy who’s smiling. There’s nothing to be smiling about right now.”
Mikhail Prokhorov’s $190 million team has lost four in a row and seven of eight to fall to 3-9.
“We created this monster. We’ve got to deal with it,” Garnett seethed. “You’re going to have the business of basketball come into play. I’m sure and management is probably going to do what they’ve got to do, but that’s out of our hands. We’ve got to control our own destiny, who we are as individuals and players. So like I said, for the fifth time, look at yourself and try to fix this thing.”
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