Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pacers' Granger nearing return from heel injury

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger expects to play soon after missing the past month with an injured heel.

His return date is uncertain, but he practiced on Wednesday and Thursday with no pain. Granger says he won't play Friday at Minnesota or Saturday at Oklahoma City.

Granger was an All-Star last season and won the NBA's Most Improved Player award after averaging 25.8 points per game. He averaged 24.4 points in 17 games this season.

The Pacers could use a spark. They are 5-11 since Granger has been out, and starters Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster also have missed games with injuries.