DOM - Horford tears pectoral muscle

ATLANTA (NBA/Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - One player the Dominican Republic can ill afford to be without come July when they attempt to book a place at the London Games is big man Al Horford.

The leading scorer in the their bronze-medal winning side at last year’s FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata, the 2.08m Horford is now an injury concern after tearing his left pectoral muscle while playing for the Atlanta Hawks this week at Indiana.

Horford, 25, is to have surgery and could miss up to four months.

The injury happened late in the game against the Pacers, after Horford became entangled with Roy Hibbert under the Hawks’ basket.

“I was hoping it was a strain and I’d rehab it for a couple of weeks and I’d be back,” Horford said.

The MRI showed the injury to be far worse, though.

Hawks coach Larry Drew is cursing his team's luck because Horford means just as much to them as he does to the Dominicans.

“Leadership and presence - that’s going to be sorely missed,” Drew said.

“He’s kind of a glue for us. He’s a stabilizer. He’s a guy who huddles the team, who talks in the huddle.

"He’s a guy who’s not afraid to call people out. Certainly the guys respect him. You can see how guys respond to him.”

Horford was the third leading scorer at the FIBA Americas Championship behind Luis Scola of Argentina (21.4 points per game) and Venezuela's Greivis Vasquez (19.3).

He averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds in Mar del Plata.

FIBA