HOUSTON, March 25 -- Houston Rockets All-Star forward Charles Barkley remains sidelined with a left hip injury and the team has set no timetable for his return. Barkley was hoping to return for Tuesday night's game against Minnesota, but his hip tightened in practice on Monday.
When Barkley suffered the injury in a March 1 game against Dallas, he was expected to be sidelined for 7-10 days. But Tuesday's game against the visiting Timberwolves marked the 11th straight game Barkley has missed. Houston entered the game with a 45-23 record and trailed the Los Angeles Lakers by one-half game in the race for the third Western Conference playoff spot. Barkley, who was acquired from the Phoenix Suns for four players in August, has missed 25 games this season with an assortment of injuries. The 11-time All-Star is averaging 19.0 points and 13.6 rebounds in 42 games this season. Barkley suffered the strange injury when Mavericks 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley kneed him while driving to the basket. X-rays and an MRI revealed a bruised hip. Barkley was the Western Conference's leading vote-getter for the All- Star Game, but sat it out with to a sprained right ankle. It was his 11th All-Star selection.
