76ers Ratliff Out 4-To-6 Weeks

Philadelphia 76ers center Theo Ratliff will miss the NBA All-Star game and will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks with a stress fracture in his right wrist.

Ratliff, who leads the NBA with 187 blocked shots, was placed in a hand cast Thursday after an MRI exam confirmed the stress fracture. Ratliff is expected to wear the cast for two weeks and then have a second MRI test to determine if he needs another cast or surgery.

"An MRI study was done this morning which indicated that he had a stress fracture of his right scaphoid bone," Philadelphia team doctor Jack McPhilemy said.

Ratliff averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds 3.7 blocked shots. He has blocked at least one shot in 49 consecutive games for the Sixers, who entered the All-Star break with an NBA-best 36-14 record.

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