Surgery May End Raptor’s Season

Toronto Raptor point guard Alvin Williams lost his starting job because of an injured right knee. Now, he’s worried he might need season-ending surgery.

“Right now, I’m not even practicing,” Williams said Saturday in Toronto.

Williams sat out Toronto’s first preseason game on Friday and won’t play today against Philadelphia. He doesn’t have much cartilage left in the knee, and he thinks an operation that will sideline him for six months is inevitable.

“It’s bone on bone,” he said. “Eventually, I probably have to get it done.”

Williams underwent arthroscopic surgery in February, but it didn’t alleviate the pain. He sat out 26 games last season.

Williams says he’ll continue his rehabilitation before deciding on surgery.

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Atlanta Hawk forward Chris Crawford will sit out the season because of a torn ligament in his right knee.

Crawford was injured Thursday during an exhibition game in Birmingham, Ala., when he was fouled by Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett as Crawford tried to score on a steal.

An MRI exam revealed that Crawford tore one ligament, sprained another, and tore cartilage, Hawk trainer Wally Blase said.

Crawford has a history of knee injuries, and these could be career-threatening. He plans to consult with the medical staff before deciding on surgery.

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Coach Larry Brown missed the Detroit Pistons’ preseason game with Miami on Saturday night in North Little Rock, Ark., after complaining that he wasn’t feeling well.

Brown, who remained in Detroit, is expected to coach the defending champion Pistons today when they return home to play Minnesota.

“With the back-to-back games ... he decided to stay,” said team spokesman Kevin Grigg, who wasn’t specific about Brown’s illness.

Assistant Gar Heard coached against the Heat, who played without Shaquille O’Neal, who has a strained hamstring.