Minneapolis/St. Paul The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that guard Ricky Rubio will undergo surgery to reconstruct a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his left knee on Wednesday, March 21. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Richard Steadman at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. The injury occurred with 16 seconds remaining in the Timberwolves game vs. the L.A. Lakers on Friday, March 9.

Rubio, acquired by Minnesota with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, appeared in 41 games (31 starts) for the Wolves this season, averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.22 steals. The rookie compiled 12 point/assist double-doubles and dished out 10+ assists on 15 occasions. At the time of his injury, Rubio ranks 3rd in the NBA in steals and 5th in assists.

Contact information:

Mike Cristaldi, Minnesota Timberwolves, (612) 673-8405, cristaldi@timberwolves.com

Aaron Seehusen, Minnesota Timberwolves, (612) 673-1602, seehusen@timberwolves.com

Dan Bell, Minnesota Timberwolves, (612) 673-1603, bell@timberwolves.com

www.timberwolves.com

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