Bucks push forward sans Bogut

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut of Australia had surgery to repair his broken right hand Monday, two days after he sustained the injury.

Team officials said Bogut is expected to need six weeks to recover before he can begin full rehabilitation, essentially ruling him out for the season.

Bogut broke his hand in an arm-wrenching crash to the court during Saturday’s victory over Phoenix, which also caused him a sprained wrist and dislocated elbow.

Before the ugly injury to Bogut, the Milwaukee Bucks were regarded as a potentially dangerous first-round playoff opponent.

Now instead of patrolling the paint for Milwaukee, Bogut will be recovering from multiple injuries and surgery while his teammates continue their playoff push without him.

Milwaukee can clinch a playoff berth with a win at Chicago on Tuesday, but these deer suddenly don’t seem as fierce.

“Nobody wants to see another team’s player get hurt, especially in that kind of dramatic fashion like it happened,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said Monday. “Yet at the same time, there could be some teams saying, ‘Man, I’m glad we don’t have to play Bogut tonight.’ It’s part of it. Our guys all understand it. There isn’t going to be anybody in Chicago shedding a tear for us that Andrew’s not playing tomorrow night.”

Bogut was having a breakout season before the injury, averaging 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

“It’s really disappointing for Andrew,” said veteran Jerry Stackhouse, a midseason acquisition for the Bucks. (AP)