Pat Riley Has Hip Replacement Surgery

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Pat Riley is recovering from surgery to replace his left hip, and the Miami Heat don't know when he'll return to coaching. <br/><br/>The 60-minute procedure was performed

Saturday, January 13th 2007, 7:12 am

By: News On 6

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Pat Riley is recovering from surgery to replace his left hip, and the Miami Heat don't know when he'll return to coaching.

The 60-minute procedure was performed Thursday in Miami, the team announced on yet another eventful day for the defending NBA champions.

Forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey were back in uniform Friday night at Golden State, ending their embarrassing deactivations for failing to meet team conditioning requirements. Shaquille O'Neal didn't return, but made more progress toward his eventual comeback from injury.

Ron Rothstein, Miami's coach in its first three seasons, has been in charge since Riley announced an indefinite leave of absence Jan. 3 to deal with the medical issues that have dogged him for months. The 61-year-old Riley also had surgery last week on his right knee to remove cartilage.

``I just wish him well,'' said Rothstein, who spoke to Riley after the surgery. ``I hope he gets healthy, (that) he doesn't need to be taking all that medicine. I hope he gets back soon.''

The Heat were 2-2 under Rothstein before facing the Warriors in the first of three games in four days to close a six-game West Coast road trip.

O'Neal is unlikely to return for the final three games of Miami's road trip, even though Sunday's game is against his former teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers. But the center practiced Thursday in San Francisco for the first time since tearing cartilage in his left knee Nov. 12.

He declined to speak to reporters Friday night while doing strengthening exercises in the Heat's locker room at Oracle Arena. O'Neal missed his 29th consecutive game Friday night, and he doesn't expect to be back in the lineup until the Heat return to Florida next week at the earliest.

Miami got other reinforcements Friday night when Walker and Posey returned _ to the bench, rather than the starting lineup.

Walker and Posey were deactivated for four games after they failed to meet the club's conditioning guidelines _ reportedly finishing 1 percent above requirements for their body fat levels _ on Jan. 3.

Walker also declined to speak about the problems when reporters asked Friday night.

Rothstein also said guard Jason Williams probably will sit out Saturday's game at Utah after playing Friday night. The Heat have limited Williams' playing time while he recovers slowly from offseason knee surgery, using him in just 22 of their first 34 games.