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Thursday, April 19, 2001
Suns to wait on Hardaway's playoff status
ESPN.com news
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PHOENIX – Penny Hardaway was encouraged after his return to practice Saturday, but the decision on whether he will be a part of the Suns' playoff roster will wait until at least Tuesday, the Arizona Republic reported.
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That's when Hardaway next tests his surgically repaired left knee in practice. Playoff rosters are due at the NBA office Thursday.
"My heart is telling me to play," said Hardaway, who worked through several drills, including 3-on-3 scrimmages Saturday. "But my body is telling me to slow it down and make the right decision."
Hardaway has appeared in only four games since undergoing surgery in May. He estimated he practiced nearly three hours Saturday.
"I thought he moved pretty well," coach Scott Skiles said. "Now, we'll just wait. This is the first time he's played with this kind of contact in a while. We'll just see what happens."
Hardaway said his knee and leg felt strong. According to a battery of strength tests last week, Hardaway said the knee was 31 percent more weak than his right.
"The test is just a small percentage of what's going on," Hardaway said. "I know it's still weak, but it doesn't hurt as much as it did."
Before he played in four games in January, the Suns medical staff reported that the knee was at 90 percent of full strength. Despite that encouraging number, a limp was evident then as Hardaway struggled to keep up, especially on defense.
Hardaway said his leg is stronger than it was in January because of work done to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. That might compensate for weakness in the knee, which underwent some additional surgery in November.
The 6-foot-7 guard also says he is in better overall physical condition than he was in January, when he weighed 235 pounds. He says he is now at 215.
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