due to injury

JOE FREEMAN

A confusing and ultimately ominous Saturday of injury news involving Brandon Roy has ended with some clarity for the Trail Blazers.

Roy, who has missed the past two games with a sprained right hamstring, had a precautionary magnetic resonance imaging test performed on his surgically repaired left knee Saturday morning. The results of the test showed no significant changes to Roy's knee, which had fluid drained on Dec. 16.

But the Blazers' All-Star guard still will miss some significant time --seven to 10 days --because of his tender hamstring. He did not travel with the team to Los Angeles for today's matchup against the Lakers and likely miss at least three more games because of his ailment.

After visiting the Lakers, the Blazers host the Detroit Pistons (Wednesday) and the Golden State Warriors (Saturday) before embarking on a four-game, seven-day East Coast trip. Assuming Roy heals according to the Blazers' timeline, he would return sometime in the middle of that trip.

Roy, who in August had surgery to repair a partial tear in the meniscus of his left knee, did not attend the Blazers' Saturday practice because of his MRI, so he was unavailable for comment. He has not played since a 102-89 victory over Toronto on Dec. 27.

Przybilla vs. Chandler: The NBA on Saturday handed out additional punishment surrounding the altercation that occurred during Friday night's game at the Rose Garden between Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla and New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler.

Chandler, who was ejected from Friday night's game, has been suspended one game without pay for throwing an elbow and striking Przybilla in the neck. Przybilla has been fined $7,500 and assessed a flagrant foul for delivering a forearm to Chandler's chest.

The two centers got into it with 6:16 left in the third quarter after Chandler slapped Przybilla's injured left hand when the two were on the block near the basket. Przybilla responded by driving his elbow into Chandler, who spun around and threw a bent-elbow, left-arm punch at Przybilla's neck. Przybilla retaliated by shoving Chandler, and the players were eventually separated.

After officials reviewed the play on a courtside television monitor, they ejected Chandler and assessed Przybilla with a personal foul. The NBA enhanced that punishment on Saturday, giving Przybilla a "Flagrant Foul Penalty One." Chandler was given a "Flagrant Foul Penalty Two," which carries an automatic ejection.

Chandler is expected to serve his suspension tonight when the Hornets visit the Denver Nuggets.