TORONTO -- Vince Carter, the NBA's second-leading scorer, was expected to miss at least two games in order to rest his left knee and thigh.
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"It's hard to swallow," Carter said. "I've never missed a
high school or college game, either."
The Raptors on Monday described Carter's condition as "jumper's knee," which is a quad pull near his left knee. On Tuesday, the team lost 107-93 at Dallas.
The Toronto Raptors star was hurt during the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls and did not return.
Carter, who is averaging 29.8 points a game, shot an air ball on
a fadeaway jumper. He felt a twitch while in the air and landed
awkwardly 3:09 into the game.
Carter, who was scoreless, was assisted off the court.
"I was stepping back to shoot and as I planted, the knee gave
out," Carter said after Sunday's game. "I knew something wasn't
right. It's the top of my knee. ... I'm not worried about the next
game. Health is first."
Carter didn't travel with the team on the two-game road trip stopped in Dallas on Tuesday night and wraps up in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The Raptors listed him as day to day.
His streak of appearing in a franchise-record 145 straight games ended.
"It's another form of tendinitis," Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens
said of Carter's condition. "A lot of NBA players have it."
Carter trails Detroit's Jerry Stackhouse by one point per game on the league's scoring list.
Carter has led the Raptors in scoring in every game but one.
Either Dell Curry or Alvin Williams will replace him in the
starting lineup.
"Vince is a big part of this team," Charles Oakley said.
"We'll have to rally together."
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ALSO SEE
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Raptors handle Bulls despite losing Carter to injury
Training Room: 'Jumper's knee' calls for rest
AUDIO VIDEO
 Vince Carter says he never missed a high school or college game.
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