Lewis, Green among weekly NFL honorees
NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Running back Ahman Green of Green Bay is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week from the last week of the regular season.
Green gained 218 yards on 20 carries Sunday as the Packers drilled Denver, 31-3. The win helped qualify Green Bay for the playoffs. The Packers got in as the NFC North champion after Minnesota's last play loss to Arizona.
Included in his performance was a team-record 98-yard touchdown run, the second longest in NFL history. It gave him 20 touchdowns for the year, breaking a single-season record held by Jim Taylor.
Joining him in the NFC were Seattle linebacker Chad Brown (defense) and New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora (special teams). AFC honorees were New England quarterback Tom Brady (offense), linebacker Ray Lewis of Baltimore (defense), and placekicker Gary Anderson of Tennessee (special teams).
Brady went 21-of-32 for 204 yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots' 31-0 rout of Buffalo. Lewis had 15 solo tackles and an interception in the Ravens' 13-10 win over Pittsburgh.
Negative results on McGrady MRI
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The MRI on the hip of star forward Tracy McGrady of Orlando has turned out to be negative, but his playing status has been determined day-to-day.
He suffered a strained right hip late in the first quarter of Monday night's 114-86 loss to the New York Knicks and did not return.
"He tried to work through it but informed me toward the latter part of the first quarter that he was unable to go," said Coach Johnny Davis of McGrady, who did not practice on Tuesday.
"Tracy is the leader, the man, and it really changes things when he goes out," said point guard Rod Strickland. "We have to reinvent ourselves on the fly."
McGrady, in his seventh season out of Mount Zion Christian Academy High School, is the NBA's fourth-leading scorer at 24.4 points per game. He also is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest.
He may miss practice for a few more days.
Knee sprain sidelines Kiprusoff
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Goaltender Miika Kiprusoff of Calgary is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks with a sprained left MCL.
He suffered the injury early in Monday's 2-2 tie with Minnesota, but played the entire game. An MRI taken Tuesday revealed the injury.
"I came up fast and I felt something in my knee," Kiprusoff said. "I felt it right away. I figured I could play the rest of the game. This is not fun. It's tough. I just have to do what I have to do and work hard to get ready to play again."
Kiprusoff, 27, acquired from San Jose for a 2005 second-round draft pick on Nov. 16, has gone 11-3-2 with a .941 save percentage and 1.48 goals-against average. He began the 2002-03 season as the Sharks' No. 1 goalie when Evgeni Nabokov held out for a new contract.
He entered this season with just 14 wins in 47 career games.
Also, rookie center Blair Betts will be out indefinitely because of a shoulder injury.
Jazz lose Handlogten for season
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rookie center Ben Handlogten of the Utah Jazz, who has been solid in limited action, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left ACL.
He suffered the injury in Friday's 97-94 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors and will undergo surgery in the next two weeks. Handlogten had four points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes in that contest and played 25 minutes Monday, totaling six points and nine boards in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 6-10 Handlogten, who is 30 years old, has appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.1 minutes. He signed with Utah on Sept. 30 after averaging 16.8 points and 12.8 rebounds for Makedonikos in Greece.
Utah's starting center, Greg Ostertag, has missed two of the last three games with an inflamed left knee, but is listed as probable for Friday's game against Memphis. Jarron Collins has started in place of Ostertag.
NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Running back Ahman Green of Green Bay is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week from the last week of the regular season.
Green gained 218 yards on 20 carries Sunday as the Packers drilled Denver, 31-3. The win helped qualify Green Bay for the playoffs. The Packers got in as the NFC North champion after Minnesota's last play loss to Arizona.
Included in his performance was a team-record 98-yard touchdown run, the second longest in NFL history. It gave him 20 touchdowns for the year, breaking a single-season record held by Jim Taylor.
Joining him in the NFC were Seattle linebacker Chad Brown (defense) and New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora (special teams). AFC honorees were New England quarterback Tom Brady (offense), linebacker Ray Lewis of Baltimore (defense), and placekicker Gary Anderson of Tennessee (special teams).
Brady went 21-of-32 for 204 yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots' 31-0 rout of Buffalo. Lewis had 15 solo tackles and an interception in the Ravens' 13-10 win over Pittsburgh.
Negative results on McGrady MRI
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The MRI on the hip of star forward Tracy McGrady of Orlando has turned out to be negative, but his playing status has been determined day-to-day.
He suffered a strained right hip late in the first quarter of Monday night's 114-86 loss to the New York Knicks and did not return.
"He tried to work through it but informed me toward the latter part of the first quarter that he was unable to go," said Coach Johnny Davis of McGrady, who did not practice on Tuesday.
"Tracy is the leader, the man, and it really changes things when he goes out," said point guard Rod Strickland. "We have to reinvent ourselves on the fly."
McGrady, in his seventh season out of Mount Zion Christian Academy High School, is the NBA's fourth-leading scorer at 24.4 points per game. He also is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest.
He may miss practice for a few more days.
Knee sprain sidelines Kiprusoff
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Goaltender Miika Kiprusoff of Calgary is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks with a sprained left MCL.
He suffered the injury early in Monday's 2-2 tie with Minnesota, but played the entire game. An MRI taken Tuesday revealed the injury.
"I came up fast and I felt something in my knee," Kiprusoff said. "I felt it right away. I figured I could play the rest of the game. This is not fun. It's tough. I just have to do what I have to do and work hard to get ready to play again."
Kiprusoff, 27, acquired from San Jose for a 2005 second-round draft pick on Nov. 16, has gone 11-3-2 with a .941 save percentage and 1.48 goals-against average. He began the 2002-03 season as the Sharks' No. 1 goalie when Evgeni Nabokov held out for a new contract.
He entered this season with just 14 wins in 47 career games.
Also, rookie center Blair Betts will be out indefinitely because of a shoulder injury.
Jazz lose Handlogten for season
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rookie center Ben Handlogten of the Utah Jazz, who has been solid in limited action, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left ACL.
He suffered the injury in Friday's 97-94 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors and will undergo surgery in the next two weeks. Handlogten had four points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes in that contest and played 25 minutes Monday, totaling six points and nine boards in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 6-10 Handlogten, who is 30 years old, has appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.1 minutes. He signed with Utah on Sept. 30 after averaging 16.8 points and 12.8 rebounds for Makedonikos in Greece.
Utah's starting center, Greg Ostertag, has missed two of the last three games with an inflamed left knee, but is listed as probable for Friday's game against Memphis. Jarron Collins has started in place of Ostertag.
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