The Memphis Grizzlies' big victory was dampened by an even bigger loss.

Guard Damon Stoudamire ruptured his right patella tendon and left the court on a stretcher in the Memphis Grizzlies' 93-90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

"We just lost a big, big part of the heart of this team by losing Damon," said coach Mike Fratello.

The 32-year-old Stoudamire will undergo surgery pending an examination by team doctors in Memphis and will likely miss the rest of the season, said team spokeswoman Stacey Mitch.

"It's really painful for the team to lose Damon," said Pau Gasol. "He's been a great leader for us and we'll miss his great finishes down the stretch."

Stoudamire, who was originally said to have sprained his knee, ruptured the tendon while driving to the hoop in the second quarter.

"I had a layup, but when I went up it felt like a sniper shot me," he said. "It was just a feeling I've never had."

Stoudamire, who played more than seven seasons for the Blazers, was making his first appearance in his hometown after leaving to sign a four-year deal with Memphis in the offseason.

He lay motionless with his head buried in his arm for a few minutes until being wheeled off the court.

"What's crazy is that when I went from the court to the Blazer locker room, I cried. And I cried upstairs," Stoudamire said.

Memphis guard Damon Stoudamire was taken off the floor on a stretcher in the first half of the Grizzlies' game with the Portland Trail Blazers after losing his footing and crashing to the ground.

Stoudamire suffered a sprained right knee, said Grizzlies spokeswoman Stacey Mitch, and was being further evaluated at the Rebound Clinic in the Rose Garden Arena.

Stoudamire, a Portland native who played more than seven seasons for the Blazers, slipped while driving to the hoop with just with 4:02 left in the half and Memphis leading 45-35. He landed on his back side, staying motionless with his head buried in his arm for few minutes until being taken off the court.

Stoudamire, who signed a four-year deal with Memphis in the offseason, had four points, six rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes.

The Grizzlies never led the Lakers -- until the overtime.

After Damon Stoudamire's pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation drew Memphis even, the Grizzlies outscored Los Angeles 10-2 to begin the extra period, then held on for a wild 100-99 victory Wednesday night.

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who scored 45 points on 13-of-37 shooting, missed a layup in the waning seconds, teammate Chris Mihm's putback rolled off the rim, and both teams were scrambling for the loose ball at the final buzzer.

The victory was only the Grizzlies' second in the 20 games they've played on the Lakers' court.

Bryant, gashed over his left eye in the second quarter when Miller pushed him in the face with his hand while driving, had three stitches to close the cut.

Bryant was called for a flagrant foul with 8:24 to play for elbowing Miller in the face as Miller drove again.

"Any player that was going to come down the lane at that point in time, I was going to let him know that he just can't walk through there," Bryant said. "I think we as a team have to do a better job of establishing that. And me, as a leader of the ballclub, I've got to take the initiative to do that -- and hopefully, everybody will see that.

"This being our home court, people come here and think it's Hollywood and all sorts of stuff, so they think they'll come down [the lane] and look pretty and shoot jump shots and dunk the ball and finger-roll the ball and do all sorts of cute stuff. And we've got to stop that."

Mostly circuitous concerning Brian Cardinal's knee surgery and astonishingly long rehabilitation, the Grizzlies activated the 6-8 forward Wednesday as they were forced to sit Shane Battier because of a hand injury.

Battier has been durable for the Grizzlies.

But he was injured during an incident at Monday's practice. The Griz contend they didn't know the extent of Battier's injury until late Tuesday.

Battier's right index finger is jammed into the knuckle, according to Griz coach Mike Fratello.

"There's a lot of swelling in the hand," Fratello said. "He's unable to shoot the ball."

Cardinal, though, asked for a chance to test his knee despite having only participated in light practices. Fratello even said last Friday that Cardinal wasn't close to returning.

But Cardinal entered the game against the L.A. Lakers with 11:49 left in the second period. He wore a black brace on the left knee that received routine arthroscopic surgery in May but mysteriously took nearly seven months to rehabilitate.

Jerry West's offseason moves that seemed puzzling to many appear to be working out well for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies' president decided to overhaul his roster after a first-round playoff loss, dumping key players Jason Williams, James Posey, Bonzi Wells and Stromile Swift.

It looked as if the Grizzlies were shedding an enormous amount of talent, and many pundits suggested "The Logo" was losing his touch as one of the NBA's best executives.

But the Grizzlies are off to their best start with a 13-5 record and tied with Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers for the second-best mark in the Western Conference.

"We're really a team," said starting center Lorenzen Wright, with the Grizzlies since their move to Memphis in 2001. "You keep some good guys and you add some good guys, and you're going to have a pretty good team."

A week after sustaining a concussion and getting eight stitches along his left eyebrow, Mike Miller showed he still has an eye for the basket.

Miller scored a season-high 25 points in his first game back from the injuries and led Memphis to its fourth straight win, 91-69 over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Miller made eight of 13 shots, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, helping Memphis put the Magic away early. He missed two games after colliding with the Rockets' Ryan Bowen on Nov. 25.

"It's amazing how well you can shoot when you can't see. I'm a better shooter when I can't see, huh?" Miller said, laughing and assuring everyone his eyesight was fine. "I was a little nervous at the beginning to get my nose in there because I didn't want to get hit. I started getting used to it, took a few and it was fine."

After practice Tuesday, the Grizzlies got ready to board a plane en route to the great country of Canada for their game tomorrow night in Toronto against the Raptors.

One player not making the trip however is Mike Miller, who?s still nursing the concussion and head laceration he suffered Friday night against Houston when he collided with the Rockets? Ryan Bowen.

After today?s practice, Miller said he was feeling a lot better, and if he had his way, he?d be joining the team in Toronto.

?I just have to get my head right. I feel good, I felt like I could go today but they want to make sure everything?s fine. It?s supposed to take a week after a concussion, so hopefully Friday?s the deadline.?

Friday night the Grizzlies host the Orlando Magic, and Miller is hoping he gets clearance from the team?s doctors tomorrow to return to the lineup that night.

?I feel alright, hopefully I?ll be back on the court Friday. I have to take a test tomorrow, make sure everything is clear then be on the court Friday.?