Mason To Miss Remainder Of Regular Season For Hornets

Saturday, April 7th 2007, 2:24 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ New Orleans Hornets officials say starting forward Desmond Mason will miss the remainder of the regular season because of a fractured nose that will require surgery.

Mason took an inadvertent elbow to the face from Seattle's Chris Wilcox during the Hornets' 102-93 overtime victory Wednesday night. The blow fractured both Mason's cheek and nose. Mason hadn't missed a game all season.

Hornets officials said Thursday the cheek would not require surgery, but that doctors were unsure about Mason's nose. Yesterday, team officials said surgery would be necessary to repair his deviated septum.

If the Hornets make the playoffs, Mason could return. Going into Friday night's home game against Phoenix in Oklahoma City, the Hornets trailed the Los Angeles Clippers by two-and-a-half games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.