Before 76ers win, Andrew Bynum admits injuring knee while bowling

The joints, ligaments, and cartilage in Andrew Bynum's knees continue to dominate the 76ers' story line this season, and basketball, at least for now, is secondary to bowling.

Before the Sixers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 86-79, on Sunday behind Evan Turner's 19 points and nine assists, Bynum corroborated a story on ESPN.com that suggested he suffered his latest injuries - cartilage swelling in both knees and a bone bruise in the left knee - while bowling two Saturdays ago.

"It's the same exact injury, mirror images of the knee - I think it happened [while I was] bowling, to be honest," Bynum said.

Bynum also has a bone bruise in his right knee. He said this was not the first time he has bowled since the start of training camp, when the Sixers announced that he would not participate until he declared both of his sore knees to be free of pain.

Acquired in a four-team trade in August, Bynum has not played in a game since May 21. The Sixers still hope to have Bynum, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, on the court by the middle of January.

On Friday, Bynum said he hoped to return to basketball-related activities by mid-December, possibly playing games by mid-January.

The 7-foot, 285-pound Bynum hopes to tangle with other centers soon. But he said the bowling injury occurred without any trauma to the knee.

"I didn't twist it, didn't fall - nothing," Bynum said. "It's weird, because I was doing low-impact training and squatting and then I go out and hurt myself like this. It's very frustrating."

Bynum said he noticed swelling in his knees shortly after he finished bowling. Surgeon David W. Altchek discovered the latest injuries after an MRI exam last week at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Unless there is another setback, the Sixers have said their next Bynum update will come after Thanksgiving. They have targeted Dec. 10 as the date for the next evaluation of Bynum's knees. At that point, another MRI exam will likely be conducted.

Asked if he was aware that Bynum may have exacerbated his injuries as a result of his bowling, Sixers coach Doug Collins said: "No."

The 25-year-old center has not practiced with the Sixers since they acquired him. In his absence, the Sixers have gone 6-4. In the win over Cleveland, center Spencer Hawes had 14 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots.

Bynum said that he simply did not view bowling as a hindrance to his rehabilitation. The Sixers had not advised him against it, he said.

"In hindsight, I guess you shouldn't go bowling, but it's not anything more than what I've done in my rehab," Bynum said.

He then added, "I don't know. I'm sure some people will feel like that. But I'm kind of taking the position that if that happens bowling, what happens while dunking? So I don't see anything wrong with going bowling."