Quad strain could officially end Houston's career

[nycballer]

Knicks guard Allan Houston is out indefinitely with a quad strain that could officially end his career.

Houston will miss New York's next two preseason games and has yet to play. He revealed recently that he pulled his quad muscle a week before training camp opened, but decided to keep it a secret.



SOURCE: NY POST

[nycballer]

And another related article from Newsday:

Knicks give Houston time to heal quad strainBY ALAN HAHN | alan.hahn@newsday.com
October 14, 2008
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Allan Houston hasn't been able to get through a full practice, let alone be healthy enough to actually dress for a game. But, he insists, there is reason for optimism in his second comeback attempt.

"The good thing is we're not talking about my knees," the 37-year-old said.

But we've yet to be able to talk about what kind of role Houston can play, if any at all, on a Knicks roster that has to be cut down to 15 players from 18 in two weeks. Houston sat out the first two preseason games and will not play in tonight's game against the 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Friday in Boston? "I doubt it," he said.

Houston's issue is a nagging strain in his right quadriceps muscle, which he suffered a week before training camp. Perhaps a year ago, when he first tried a comeback with Isiah Thomas at the helm, Houston might have felt more pressure to play through the pain and make a case for himself. But this year he says Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni are giving him all the time he needs.



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"I'm so thankful for that, that I don't feel like I have to go out and because that's going to make it worse," Houston said. "That way we'll never know, we'll never really know."

D'Antoni has said he has "no expectations" for Houston, but remains open-minded. The Knicks like the idea of having Houston's shooting ability and experience on the bench, as well as his high character as an influence in the locker room. And Houston sounded as if he was willing to accept a role as a reserve player.

"If it comes to a point where I'm practicing and helping out, that's fine," Houston said. "If I can do that, I'm good, and I feel like I can do that."

Notes & quotes: UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma attended practice yesterday and sat with Liberty coach Pat Coyle. Afterward he discussed the Knicks' new system with assistant coach Phil Weber ... Eddy Curry struggled through an hourlong scrimmage and might receive limited minutes tonight, if any at all . . . D'Antoni said he was looking forward to his first game at the Garden as the Knicks' coach. He said when he was with the Suns he always liked coming here. "Yeah, because I thought we would win," he said with a hearty laugh. D'Antoni, who was actually a modest 3-2 at the Garden in four-plus seasons with the Suns, then caught himself and quickly added, "Nah, that was a cheap shot."