Wolves' Ricky Rubio out for season with ACL tear
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio sustained an ACL tear in his left knee on Friday night and will miss the rest of the NBA season, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The tear was confirmed in an MRI on Saturday morning in Minneapolis.
Rubio will also miss the 2012 Summer Olympics, in which he would have played an integral role for Spain – Team USA's top rival.
Rubio’s knee buckled with 16.4 seconds left in the Timberwolves' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in Minneapolis. He came across to trap Kobe Bryant and crumpled to the floor as Bryant collided with him while trying to dribble. Rubio immediately grabbed his knee, remaining on the floor for a few moments until teammates carried him to the bench.
Rubio, 21, has played an immense role in the Wolves' revival, partnering with power forward Kevin Love to push Minnesota into playoff contention in the Western Conference. For the season, Rubio has averaged 10.5 points, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
His flashy passing and gutsy playmaking has made him one of the league’s most popular young players. Rubio had been a top candidate, along with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, for NBA Rookie of the Year.
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