Timberwolves' Ryan Gomes will miss 2-3 weeks because of injured ankle

"Timberwolves forward Ryan Gomes was unable to practice Tuesday, but he had a relieved look on his face.

A magnetic resonance imaging exam Tuesday morning revealed no significant damage in his injured left ankle. Timberwolves medical personnel said Gomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the Wolves' loss at Sacramento on Saturday night.

Gomes, who has started 24 games this season, still faces the possibility of an extended absence, perhaps two to three weeks, but the MRI ruled out the need for surgery.

"I was very nervous at first because of the way I landed," Gomes said of the injury, which happened during the second quarter while he was chasing a loose ball against the Kings. "I heard something pop. It's swollen now and I've got some pain, but at least it's not as serious as I thought."

Gomes will not dress for the Wolves' game against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 tonight at Target Center. He also sat out the Wolves' win at Utah on Monday night.

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis was uncertain when Gomes would be able to return to the lineup.

"We'll have to see how he feels each day after he works out," Rambis said. "Right now it's a day-to-day thing."

Gomes, averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds, is the Wolves' latest injury concern this season. Forward Kevin Love rejoined the team on Dec. 4 after missing two months with a broken bone in his left hand. Rambis said forward Al Jefferson continues to work himself into shape after recovering from major knee surgery last season.

Gomes said his return depends on how quickly he can regain his mobility. He admitted he had difficulty with lateral movement while testing the ankle during Tuesday's practice.

"I won't practice until I can move better without pain," Gomes said. "I can put weight on it, but I want to be able to do what I normally do in game situations." "

Gomes was a guy I really liked a couple years back. He really hasn't shown as much progression as I had hoped and is really just a role player at this point. It's a loss, but not an Al Jefferson type loss that the T-Wolves had to endure last year.