Knee surgery likely for Hornets guard Paul

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – All-Star guard Chris Paul of the  New Orleans Hornets is set to have an operation on his left  knee, the team said yesterday.

“It’s likely there’s going to be a surgical procedure,”  coach Jeff Bower told the team’s website (www.nba.com/hornets).

“We’re in the process of gathering information as far as the  next steps in dealing with Chris’s knee. He has been evaluated  and MRI (scans) have been conducted (on Sunday) by our doctors.”

Paul first hurt his knee last week in a game at Golden  State. He hit the knee again racing out of bounds to save the  ball on Friday against the Chicago Bulls.

Bower said a decision on the 24-year-old was likely to be  made in the next day or two.

He was not able to put a timetable on a return to action in  the event of surgery but local media reported Paul would miss at  least a month.

Paul is averaging 20.4 points and 11.2 assists this season  for the Hornets, who are 26-21 and hold the eighth and last  Western Conference berth for the postseason.