Jazz forward undergoes thumb surgery

SALT LAKE CITY, May 23 (UPI) -- Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap has undergone left thumb surgery, the team's vice president of basketball operations, Kevin O'Connor, announced.

The operation to repair a torn ligament was performed Thursday.

Millsap's injury occurred last Friday in Utah's 108-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal series that eliminated the Jazz from the playoffs.

The thumb will be in a cast for two weeks then will be re-evaluated to determine treatment for the following four weeks. He is expected to be fully healed in six weeks.

The 6-foot-8 inch, 258-pound three-year veteran, a second-round draft choice in 2006 out of Louisiana Tech, was Utah''s most-durable player the past two seasons, playing in all 164 regular-season games and all 29 playoff games.

His per game averages in the 2007-08 season were 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds.