Wed Apr 30 17:54:16 2008

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Arenas out for Game 5, and rest of season

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Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, whose team faces a 3-1 deficit entering Wednesday night's Game 5 of its Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will miss whatever games remain in the Wizards' season because of continued problems with his surgically repaired knee.

Arenas announced about an hour before the scheduled tip-off that he would be shelved for the season, having missed the previous two practice days after consulting with the team's trainer.

The three-time All-Star returned April 3 after missing 66 games during the regular season, and was available at a limited capacity during the first four games of the series with the Cavs. He scored 24 points in a narrow Game 1 loss, but suffered a wrist injury late in that contest and was limited to 24 minutes and just seven points in a Game 2 blowout.

The 26-year-old Arizona product totaled a combined 42 minutes in Games 3 and 4, but was clearly hampered by both the knee and wrist injuries. Washington dropped a 100-97 decision Sunday to fall into a 3-1 series hole, and now finds itself a game from being eliminated. Arenas played the first eight games of the season for the Wizards before needing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the same knee that required surgery in the offseason.

In seven NBA seasons, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Arenas owns career averages of 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.