Wizards G Arenas cleared to play

Apr 2, 2008 - 4:19 PM WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has been medically cleared to play, the team announced Wednesday.

Arenas had been sidelined since undergoing surgery on his left knee on November 21, missing 66 games over that span.

Despite receiving clearance from team physician Dr. Marc Connell, Arenas likely will not play Wednesday when the Wizards host the Milwaukee Bucks.

The team officially has listed Arenas as a game-time decision, but the Washington Post reported on its web site that three-time All-Star will miss the game vs. the Bucks. According to the report, Arenas is unsure when he will return this season.

After Wednesday's contest, the Wizards (38-36) host the Miami Heat on Friday before visiting the Chicago Bulls a day later. Washington currently is tied with the Toronto Raptors (38-36) for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

Arenas had hoped to return on March 23 for Washington's home game with the Detroit Pistons. But after participating in the Wizards' morning shootaround that day, Arenas was told he would not be in the lineup.

Before the surgery, Arenas averaged team highs of 22.4 points and 5.9 assists. The sharpshooter averaged 28.5 points per game last season, the third-best total in the NBA.

Arenas originally suffered the injury last April 3 and underwent season-ending surgery two days later. The 6-4 guard aggravated the injury on November 16 against Minnesota.