SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Portland Trail Blazers placed forward Scottie Pippen on the injured list before Friday's game at Utah with a right knee contusion and activated guard-forward Mitchell Butler.
Pippen has played only 12 games this season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. He originally suffered the injury on November 13 in an 89-82 loss at New York and sat out seven games before coming off the injured list on December 2.
In his 15th NBA season and third with the Trail Blazers, Pippen was playing point guard in place of Damon Stoudamire prior to his injury.
Butler scored five points in Friday's 93-85 loss in his first NBA action since the 1998-99 season. Butler, who played in 49 games for Portland in the 1996-97 campaign, signed a free agent contract with the Blazers on October 1.
The Blazers also played Friday's game without second-leading scorer Bonzi Wells, who did not dress due to inflammation in his left knee.
