Nets' Brook Lopez (foot) undergoes season-ending surgery, additional procedure
![Nets' Brook Lopez (foot) undergoes season-ending surgery, additional procedure Nets' Brook Lopez (foot) undergoes season-ending surgery, additional procedure](https://www.si.com/.image/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/MTY4MjU3MjQwODU3NjUxMDcz/brook-lopez-surgeryjpg.jpg)
Brook Lopez (center) was averaging 20.7 points and six rebounds for the Ntes. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Sport)
![Brook Lopez (center) was averaging 20.7 points and six rebounds for the Ntes. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Sport)](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MjU3MjQwODU0MzA4NzM3/image-placeholder-title.jpg)
Brook Lopez underwent successful surgery on his right foot that officially ended his 2013-14 season, the Nets announced Saturday.
The All-Star center broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during a Dec. 20 loss to the Sixers. In addition to the surgery to repair that fracture, Lopez underwent a first metatarsal osteotomy designed to "unload and protect the injured area," according to a team release.
"With this procedure, we both fixed the broken bone (fifth metatarsal) in Brook's right foot and repositioned another bone, so that his sole of his foot will bear weight more evenly than before," Nets medical director Dr. Riley Williams III said in a statement. "The repositioning portion of the surgery lessens the stress on the fractured bone, and decreases the likelihood of re-injury in the future."
Lopez is expected to receive clearance to return to the court for offseason workouts.
The sixth-year center previously missed all but five games of the 2011-12 season after breaking the same bone in his right foot twice in quick succession. Back in June, the Stanford product underwent an additional surgery to address a screw that became bent after being implanted during an earlier procedure.
Lopez fell to the floor and clutched his right foot in pain midway through the fourth quarter of the overtime loss to Philadelphia. He finished with 22 points (on 9-for-19 shooting) and seven rebounds in 44 minutes of action against Philadelphia, and he played during the fourth quarter and the extra period after sustaining the injury.
http://youtu.be/ZZx_ljJcGE4
Brooklyn is 11-21 this season: 7-10 when Lopez plays and 4-11 without him. The Nets are 1-4 since Lopez went down against the Sixers.
The 2008 lottery pick was averaging a team-high 20.7 points, six rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this season, and he ranked No. 7 overall in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) at the time of his injury, making him a candidate for what would have been his second career All-Star Game appearance. Lopez is in the second year of a four-year, $60.8 million contract. He will make $14.7 million this season, $15.7 million next season and $16.7 million in 2015-16.