Trail Blazers center Greg Oden carried off on stretcher after apparent knee injury

Blazers’ Oden carried off on stretcher

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland center Greg Oden was taken off the court on a stretcher after an apparent knee injury in the first quarter of the Trail Blazers’ game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Oden dropped to the floor clutching his left knee and grimacing after colliding with a driving Aaron Brooks midway through the first quarter.

He was almost immediately surrounded by trainers and physicians. The crowd at the Rose Garden stood and chanted “Oden! Oden!”

The game was stopped for some 7 minutes. Finally, Oden was gently moved to a stretcher and wheeled from the court. The Blazers said he would undergo an MRI but further details were not available.

Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft out of Ohio State, has been plagued by injures for his entire NBA career.

The 7-footer missed rookie season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. Last season, Oden sat out six games after injuring his right foot in the season opener against the Lakers, then missed 14 games after the All-Star break with a bone chip in his left knee. He finished the season averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds.

Oden lost weight during the offseason and was averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds this season as a starter.

The Blazers have been beset by injuries. Starting forward Nicolas Batum needed shoulder surgery just before the opener. Fellow forward Travis Outlaw fractured his foot in mid-November and required surgery.

Forward Rudy Fernandez was out of Saturday night’s game with sciatic pain and set to undergo an MRI. It was uncertain if he would be with the team on an upcoming four-game road trip starting with the Knicks on Monday.

Even coach Nate McMillan was set to undergo surgery Monday after rupturing his right Achilles’ tendon during practice.

The coach was participating in practice because the team is so short-handed. He will miss the team’s upcoming road trip, replaced by assistant coach Dean Demopoulos.