PORTLAND, Ore. � Portland center Greg Oden was taken off the court on a stretcher after an apparent knee injury in the first quarter of the Trail Blazers� game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Oden dropped to the floor clutching his left knee after colliding with a driving Aaron Brooks with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter.
Oden stayed on the ground for about 5 minutes while being attended to by trainers. He never stood up under his own power before being carted off.
The No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Oden missed the entire 2007-08 season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. The 7-footer is averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds this season.