Chauncey Billups, who missed the final 46 games of the regular season after tearing his left Achilles tendon, said returning to the Clippers is something he would like to do.

"I'm definitely going to give this a huge amount of consideration this summer. I feel like we've got some unfinished business a little bit," Billups said. "You never know what direction the team is going, if they even want me back. I've learned not to really assume nothing.

"I don't know if this is going to be my last time here. But if it is, I had a good time. But if not, I'm looking forward to continuing. I'm definitely going to be back playing next year. For sure and you can believe that. Believe it."

Billups was claimed off waivers by the Clippers on Dec. 12, two days before Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers

Dwyane Wade had his knee drained prior to Game 3, according to multiple sources.

Wade has downplayed the extent of his left knee injuries over the past few weeks.

Wade declined to comment on the procedure after Game 4 other than to say, "If I'm in uniform, I ready to play."

Wade said the 48 hours of treatment and time away allowed him to regroup for Sunday's critical game.

"The last two days have been mental," Wade said. "It was great for me just getting away and to get that energy that I needed. I know I was struggling on the offensive end, but I didn't want that to affect my overall game."

Greg Oden underwent the same Orthokine knee procedure that Kobe Bryant had last summer, according to sources.

Oden had the non-evasive procedure done in New York two weeks ago to accelerate the healing process.

"Greg had long planned to have this procedure done,'' one of the sources said. "He thought he'd wait until his knee was completely healed, but the doctor said Greg would get the greatest benefit by doing it now because it would help his recovery.''

Gilbert Arenas and Alex Rodriguez are also known to have the procedure done.

The procedure involves doctors taking the patient's own blood, spinning it in a centrifuge, making a serum and then injecting it into the knee. Doctors claim the blood then works to stop inflammation and reduce pain and cartilage damage.

Oden is not considering retirement, but no timetable for his return has been determined.

Oden's agent is in continual contact with approximately seven NBA teams that monitor his progress.

Chris Bosh did not travel with the Heat to Indiana, remaining in South Florida for treatment of his lower-abdominal strain.

Bosh is out indefinitely, but hasn't been formally ruled out of returning against the Pacers.

"He's upbeat as you can be with an injury," LeBron James said after Thursday morning's shootaround. "He's just trying to do all the rehab he can. He can't do much rehabbing right now. He has to rest, but just trying to stay upbeat as much as he can."

C.J. Watson has undergone surgery on both feet for plantar fasciitis. 

"It was hard," Watson said of playing through the condition. "I couldn't do all the things that I'm usually capable of doing. But I knew with Derrick (Rose) out, I had to give the team what I could."

Watson underwent the same procedure last summer.

Bulls team surgeon Dr. Brian Cole provided an assessment of Derrick Rose's recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"While he will hopefully be at a very high level in 12 months, it still may take slightly longer to be at his pre-injury level," Cole said. "That's not uncommon in athletes of this caliber."

"Lots of athletes come back and play at a high level but not necessarily initially at the level they were pre-injury. Some get it at six months. Some get it at eight. It might take three years. It depends on the muscle physiology, confidence issues. All that plays a part."

Cole won't recommend that Rose sit out the entire 2012-13 season.

"There's actually a lot of therapeutic benefit to starting with early minutes when it's safe," Cole said. "You have to play to play. All these muscle patterns have to kick in. You can do that off the court informally. But there's a lot of benefit to playing. Whether he has to go 40 minutes, that's a whole different story. Just getting out there and playing when he's able, that's when his exponential growth is going to come.

"The good news is he's an incredible athlete. The other good news is he's an unbelievably hard worker who wants this more than anything. We're not going to rush him. The most important thing is all of us feel comfortable based on specific parameters that he's ready to go as we advance him. If he's not ready, we just delay. If he's ready, we move him to the next stage."

Paul Pierce is attempting to play through the pain of a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Pierce shot just 2-of-7 from the floor during Boston’s 82-81 loss to the Sixers on Monday.

"I know he's hurt," said Sixers reserve center Tony Battie. “But Paul's definitely not going to ever admit that to anyone.
"You can see it. His shot is a little flat. His knee is bothering him, and he's had some foot problems, and his lift isn't 100 percent.

"But he's still the heart and soul of that team. We know Paul. We know he can get it going. I don't put it past him to come out with a Willis Reed-type Herculean effort in the next game."

Sixers forward Elton Brand, who’s battled through knee, shoulder, and neck injuries, is aware of how exhausting it is to fight through the pain.

"You lose your aggression," Brand said. "When it hurts, that's what happens. Half the time it's subconscious. You have trouble with your movement and your thrust and it's just harder to attack when all that is going on.

"But I know what kind of player [Pierce] is. He's going to keep coming. He's not going to quit."

Kendrick Perkins aggravated his hip injury in the third quarter of Oklahoma City's Game 1 win and did not return.

Perkins will be a game-time decision for Game 2.

The Thunder are relying upon Perkins to defend Andrew Bynum.

Chris Bosh is out indefinitely with a strained abdominal muscle.

Bosh sustained the injury in Miami's Game 1 win over Indiana.

Blake Griffin managed eight points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in Game 7 of the Clippers’ first-round series against Memphis despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability.

"There just were movements I couldn't do and I wanted to do," Griffin said. "And I don't want to ever put my teammates in a situation where I feel like I'm hurting them, where physically I can't do what I need to do."

Griffin intends to play when the Clippers open their second round series against the Spurs on Tuesday.

"No, I'm not going to sit out," Griffin said. "It's a matter of rest."