PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers point guard Eric Snow underwent left thumb surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss up to three months.
Dr. Lee Osterman of the Philadelphia Hand Center performed the procedure with 76ers team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy assisting.
A plate, two pins and five screws were inserted into Snow's thumb during the operation that lasted more than two hours.
"The surgery went very well," McPhilemy said. "It was a very difficult injury, but everything turned out fine."
In his first game back following offseason ankle surgery, Snow fractured his left thumb in an exhibition game against the San Antonio Spurs on October 16.
With 40 seconds left in the first half, Snow fell to the floor in a scramble for a loose ball. He was evaluated by Spurs orthopedic specialist Dr. David Schmidt and X-rays taken at halftime revealed a fracture. Surgery was delayed until Tuesday so swelling could subside.
Losing Snow is another blow to the defending Eastern Conference champions, who already are without NBA Most Valuable Player Allen Iverson (elbow) and Sixth Man Award winner Aaron McKie (shoulder), who continue to recover from offseason surgeries.
Snow played the entire NBA Finals on a fractured right ankle and underwent surgery in late June, his second procedure in six months on the ankle. He suffered the injury in Game Four of the Eastern Conference finals against Milwaukee when he landed on the foot of Bucks guard Sam Cassell.
The 6-3 Snow responded with 18 points in the next game and averaged 12.6 points and 6.0 assists in five games as the Sixers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
On December 5, Snow suffered a stress fracture in his ankle in a road game against the Lakers. He returned after the All-Star break and averaged 9.8 points and 7.4 assists in 50 games last season.
