Roy open to return if Blazers advance

[CmWYNNE3]

Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Friday and will miss one or two weeks.

Roy has already been ruled out of Portland's first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, which starts Sunday. But with the recovery timeline, the Blazers left open the possibility of his return should Portland advance.

The three-time All Star leads the Blazers with 21.5 points per game. He injured his knee last weekend in the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Spanish swingman Rudy Fernandez will start Sunday in Roy's place.

Earlier this week, Roy said he would try to play with the injury, a meniscus tear, because doctors told him he could not hurt it further. The surgery was announced on Thursday.

Roy originally said his recovery time would take four to six weeks, and coach Nate McMillan addressed the discrepancy at the Blazers' practice facility on Friday.

"That's the time frame they gave us," McMillan said. "And a lot of times they base that off of what they did during the surgery."

The Blazers practiced in Tualatin, Ore., before traveling to Phoenix on Friday night. Roy did not accompany the team.

Roy's absence for the playoffs has hardly shaken the Blazers, who have been hit by injuries all season. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla needed season-ending surgery, forward Nicolas Batum missed the first half of the season after shoulder surgery, and Fernandez had midseason back troubles. Former forward Travis Outlaw, who was traded to the Clippers, sat out for a time with a foot injury.

Roy missed more that a dozen games with a sore hamstring earlier this year before the slight meniscus tear was discovered.

In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to the Warriors this season. Only guard Andre Miller and forward Martell Webster have played in all 82 games.

"We haven't made excuses, we've just gone out and played," McMillan said. "And now is the time to do that."

The Blazers got a scare at practice when center Marcus Camby rolled his ankle. He appeared later with it taped, but told reporters he was fine and would be able to play on Sunday.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press