Mason Out for the Season After Biceps Injury

Already faced with playing as many as 20 games without leading scorer Glen Rice, the Charlotte Hornets learned Tuesday night that top rebounder Anthony Mason will be sidelined the entire season.

Mason left practice Monday with what was originally diagnosed as a hyperextended right elbow. When the injury did not respond to initial treatment, he was sent Tuesday for a magnetic resonance imaging test, which showed a ruptured biceps tendon.

Surgery is being recommended to repair the damage, and it likely will take four to six months for rehabilitation, said Dr. Glenn Perry, the Hornets’ lead physician.

Recently signed free-agent center Derrick Coleman rolled his eyes when asked about Charlotte’s chances of contending in the Eastern Conference without Mason and Rice, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

“There goes the season,” Coleman said at the Hornets’ camp in Fort Mill, S.C. “It’s going to be tough. I was looking forward to getting out there and playing with those guys.”

Coleman was expected to play a complementary role on a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season largely on the strength of Rice and Mason.

But Rice, who was sixth in the NBA last season with a scoring average of 22.3 points, underwent an arthroscopic clean-out procedure late last month after a bone chip was discovered in his right elbow. He could be sidelined the first five weeks of the season.

Mason, who last season averaged 12.8 points and was seventh in the league with a rebound average of 10.2, hyperextended his elbow while battling through a pick in practice.

The team originally thought Mason would not miss any significant amount of practice or game time. “It’s very frustrating because those are our two best players,” Hornet Coach Dave Cowens said. “They’re the guys who have been carrying us.”

Rice’s small forward spot would likely be filled temporarily by either Chuck Person or Chucky Brown. Cowens said J.R. Reid would be the most likely candidate to take over for Mason at power forward.

“Whoever’s in there is going to have to get the job done for us to be competitive,” Cowens said. “They’ll have to play hard. They’ll probably have to overachieve.”

*

Free-agent guard Jim Jackson signed a three-year, $6-million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, giving the team more outside shooting and depth at the guard position.

Jackson, a six-year NBA veteran, played the final 31 games of last season with the Golden State Warriors, averaging 18.9 points. He began his career with the Dallas Mavericks, who selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 1992 draft.

Jackson has also played for the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.

Jackson, who practiced with the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, said he’d had offers from five other teams, but came to Portland because the team was committed to winning instead of building for the future.

The Trail Blazers signed Jackson by using the $1.75 million salary-cap exception.

Jackson has played mostly shooting guard in his career, the same position Isaiah Rider plays for the Trail Blazers. Portland President and General Manager Bob Whitsitt said Jackson will compete with Rider for minutes, as well as play small forward and occasionally point guard.

*

Houston Rocket backup forward Antoine Carr will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and miss the start of the season.

It was not immediately clear when Carr will return.

Carr, who played for the Utah Jazz last season, signed with the Rockets as a backup for Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley.

He sprained his right knee during a practice session last week.

*

Boston Celtic forward Walter McCarty signed a contract extension that reportedly will run for three years starting next season.

The Celtics, who announced the deal but none of its details, now have McCarty, Antoine Walker, Kenny Anderson and Paul Pierce signed to long-term deals. They are expected to turn their attention now to Ron Mercer, who is entering his second NBA season and can become eligible for an extension next summer.

McCarty, who played for Celtic Coach Rick Pitino at Kentucky, averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.5 minutes last season.