NBA LeBron injured in Cavaliers' 98-87 loss

The second-year player was flattened by Dikembe Mutombo's elbow.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A hood pulled over his aching head, LeBron James staggered back into Gund Arena looking like a beaten boxer.
So much for looking sharp for the birthday bash. On the night before he turned 20, James was in no condition to celebrate.
Cleveland's forward got flattened by an elbow from Houston's Dikembe Mutombo in the first half and the Rockets went on to a 98-87 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
"I never saw him," Mutombo said. "The next thing I know, boom, he was laying on the floor. I hope it's not too bad."
Tracy McGrady scored 34 points and Yao Ming added 20 for the Rockets, who didn't have to contend with James after halftime and snapped a five-game losing streak on the road.
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James bruised a bone near his left eye. He was moving across the lane when he was accidentally leveled by Mutombo, whose elbows have dropped more than a few NBA players over the years.
"I warned him before the game to watch out," said Cavaliers guard Eric Snow, who played with Mutombo in Philadelphia. "I've seen him take out teammates and opponents. Those things are dangerous."
James was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for X-rays and a CAT scan. He was not available for comment after returning from the hospital. The team said it will have test results and an update on his condition today.
"It's too bad," said Cavs guard Jeff McInnis. "I know he wanted to do well tonight with it being his birthday."
After he was nailed by Mutombo, James immediately dropped to the floor, covered his eyes and kicked his feet in obvious pain while lying face down as play continued. When Houston scored, the officials stopped the action and Cleveland's medical staff rushed out to help James, who had to be assisted off the court as he held a towel against his head.
The sellout crowd in Gund Arena fell silent as James walked off.
"That was too bad about LeBron," said Rockets guard Bob Sura, a former Cavaliers player. "Man, he brings energy into this building. It was never like that when I played here."
Only three points
James was coming off a 40-point performance in a win at Atlanta on Tuesday. He's averaging 25.2 points but had a career-low three -- all on free throws -- before getting hurt.
McGrady scored 22 points in the second half and 12 in the fourth quarter, including the Rockets' last seven over the final 2:03.
Juwan Howard added 17 points for the Rockets, who were coming off a season-worst 28-point loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Trailing 80-69 early in the fourth, the Cavaliers began chipping away. After a pair of 3-pointers, Drew Gooden's jumper brought Cleveland within 86-83 with 5:41 left. Gooden scored again to make it 91-87 with 2:20 left, when McGrady put an end to the Cavs' comeback.
McGrady hit a jumper, made two free throws and nailed a long 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to close the scoring. The Cavaliers, sorely missing James, missed three shots and made two turnovers in the final 2 minutes.
"He's our MVP, but any team that loses its MVP, how do they look?" Cavs forward Ira Newble said.
Gooden led Cleveland with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 17 points and 11 boards and Jeff McInnis had 10 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, who dropped to 11-3 at Gund Arena.