Bucks' Jericho Sims likely to miss rest of regular season after undergoing thumb surgery

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks reserve center Jericho Sims will likely miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing surgery Monday morning to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Sims injured his thumb Saturday in a 126-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers, though he played 12 minutes Sunday in a 121-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Bucks said Sims is expected to miss four weeks, meaning he probably won't return until postseason play begins. The playoffs start April 19, with the play-in rounds taking place April 15-18. Milwaukee (38-29) is currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, and the play-in rounds are for teams that finish seventh through 10th.

Milwaukee acquired Sims from the New York Knicks at the trade deadline in exchange for Delon Wright. Sims had been earning regular playing time off the bench for the Bucks, whose frontcourt depth took a hit when Bobby Portis received a 25-game suspension on Feb. 25 for testing positive for the painkiller Tramadol.

Sims has averaged 2.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 15 minutes in 14 games with the Bucks. The 6-foot-10 center had played 39 games for New York and was averaging 1.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 10.8 minutes.

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