MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Slovenian guard Goran Dragic underwent successful right knee surgery Wednesday but is expected to be sidelined for the Miami Heat until mid-February, the NBA club announced.
Dragic, who has missed 12 of Miami’s past 14 games with the injury, will see the European standout absent until approximately the NBA All-Star Game break from February 15-21.
In 14 games this season, Dragic has averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
“He was getting treatment around the clock and it just wasn’t responding,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This solution is the most promising. We will deal with it and he will be back this season.”
Dragic, 32, helped Slovenia win last year’s EuroBasket title in Turkey. He was the NBA’s Most Improved Player while with Phoenix in 2014 and last season earned his first trip to the NBA All-Star Game.
At 13-16, the Heat rank ninth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Orlando and Charlotte for the last playoff spot.
© Agence France-Presse
