Los Angeles - All-Star forward Kevin Garnett, the emotional leader of the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, will miss two to three weeks with a muscle strain in his right knee, the team announced Saturday.

Garnett left the Celtics on Friday and returned to Boston, where he was examined by team physician Dr. Brian McKeon at New England Baptist Hospital. Tests including an MRI revealed a posterior muscle strain in his knee.

Los Angeles  - The Phoenix Suns will be without Amare Stoudemire for the next eight weeks, after the All-Star power forward underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair a partially detached retina in his right eye.

"We are very glad to hear that Amare should have a 100 per cent recovery relative to his vision and his long-term prognosis is excellent," Suns president of basketball operations and general manager Steve Kerr said in a statement.

Los Angeles  - The Phoenix Suns will be without Amare Stoudemire for the next eight weeks, after the All-Star power forward underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair a partially detached retina in his right eye.

"We are very glad to hear that Amare should have a 100 per cent recovery relative to his vision and his long-term prognosis is excellent," Suns president of basketball operations and general manager Steve Kerr said in a statement.

Los Angeles  - Bruce Bowen helped the San Antonio Spurs turn a bad day into a good night.

Bowen made two crucial free throws with 9.7 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Spurs edged the struggling Detroit Pistons 83-79 on Thursday night.

Hours earlier, the Spurs learned Argentine ace Manu Ginobili and his 16-points per game average will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a stress reaction of his distal right fibula (above the ankle) following X-rays and a CAT scan.

"It's a stress reaction, not a stress fracture, which is important," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "If it had been a stress fracture, there's no way he could have been playing, and certainly not as well as he has been.

Los Angeles - New interim head coach Alvin Gentry brought out the old playbook, and the up-tempo Phoenix Suns were on the run, having fun again.

"Brazilian Blur" Leandro Barbosa scored 24 points, Amare Stoudemire added 23 to lead a balanced attack and the Suns lit up the defenseless Los Angeles Clippers
140-100 on Tuesday night.