Mercer injured!

[Georgek27@aol.com]

Mercer to miss first two games with knee problem

SportsTicker

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Swingman Ron Mercer, one of the young stars hoping to put
the Boston Celtics on their way back to prominence this season, suffered a
knee injury today that will force him to miss the first two games of the
abbreviated season.  

Celtics coach Rick Pitino revealed today that Mercer injured his right knee
and will miss home games on February 5 against the Toronto Raptors and the
following night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mercer is scheduled to
undergo an MRI today to learn the extent of the injury.  

Boston may also be without reserve center Dwayne Schintzius. The journeyman
underwent surgery today for a comminuted nasal fracture, an injury he suffered
in practice on Saturday.  The team said Schintzius, who will be fitted with a
protective mask, is listed as day-to-day.  

As a rookie last season, Mercer was second on the team in scoring at 15.3
points per game.  While contributing 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game,
the Nashville, Tennessee native shot 45 percent from the field and hit nearly
84 percent of his free throws.  

The bad news comes less than a week after Boston inked its best player,
Antoine Walker, to a six-year contract extension worth a reported $71 million.

Pitino helped guide Mercer and Walker to outstanding collegiate careers at
Kentucky before drafting them upon joining Boston. Mercer left the Wildcats
after his sophomore season and Pitino made him the sixth overall pick in the
1997 draft.  

Walker and Mercer, along with veteran guard Kenny Anderson, lead a club
looking to improve upon its 36-46 mark this past season, hoping to give Boston
its first winning campaign since 1992-93.  

This offseason, Boston re-signed 29-year-old forward Popeye Jones and acquired
second-year forward-center Tony Battie from the Los Angeles Lakers for center
Travis Knight.  

st 02-01-99 16:50 et