Oklahoma City Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins will miss the next six weeks of action after undergoing a procedure on his left groin.
Perkins suffered the injury during the Thunder's loss to the Miami Heat last week, and missed their defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday as a result.
The 29-year-old has averaged 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 54 starts as Oklahoma City lead the Western Conference with a 43-14 record.
Rookie Steven Adams will likely feature more heavily, although the Thunder are 0-3 this season when they have been without Perkins.
