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Its not bad career wise. Dumb luck injury and fx heal. Not related in any way to microfx. Just bad luck."
3. Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard was near tears in his press conference in a small media room off the Blazers' lockers tonight. "Well, tonight was a setback," he began, very slowly, then described the injury as "kind of a freak accident" that happened when Oden "tried to explode from the ground to make that block." He took pains to point out that the fracture could not be Oden's fault: "Sometimes life's not fair," he said. "I have seen this kid work his tail off."
4. Pritchard said Oden's "emotions welled up" when the fracture was diagnosed, but continued to be interested in the Rockets game: "He kept wanting to know what the score of the game was. That's the kind of kid he is."
5. The GM is considering trades to keep this season afloat. Asked what kind of deals he had in mind, Pritchard laughed in a tone that might be best described as rueful. "I don't know... I don't know."
6. Coach Nate McMillan says Oden spent halftime -- after his diagnosis -- in a team meeting, encouraging the other Blazers to strategize. McMillan said the second half was "the first time I've seen this team come together and play like we're capable of playing, like we played last year. With scrappiness, with heart."
7. Oden's statement to the media, released through the PR folks:
WWeek 2015