Cavs' Mo Williams out month shoulder injury
Tom WithersCavaliers starting point guard Mo Williams will miss at least one month with a sprained left shoulder, a major blow to the Eastern Conference's top team.
Williams injured his shoulder in Tuesday night's win over Toronto when he reached for a steal in the third quarter. He was taken to the locker room for an examination and treatment before returning to the floor and making a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs said Thursday before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers that an MRI revealed the sprain and that Williams is projected to be out for the "next four to six weeks."
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers starting point guard Mo Williams will miss Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers — and potentially more time — with a sprained left shoulder.
Williams injured his shoulder in Tuesday night's win over Toronto Raptors when he reached for a steal in the third quarter. He was taken to the locker room for an examination and treatment before returning to the floor and making a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs initially said Williams had sustained a strain, but on Thursday changed the diagnosis to a sprain, which indicates there is a tear in the shoulder joint. The severity of Williams' injury is not yet known and the team has not yet provided a timetable for his return.
Williams was being evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic and the Cavs planned an update for later in the day.
The club's second-leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, Williams scored a team-high 28 in Cleveland's Christmas Day win over the Lakers.
Cleveland coach Mike Brown said Delonte West will start in place of Williams and that Daniel Gibson will return to the rotation. West will be making his first start this season.
"It's tough," Brown said. "But I like the guys in this locker room and I'm confident other guys will step up. It's part of the business. You hope he gets better soon but you have to keep going forward."