"Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet did not make the trip to Toyota Center, but he could return from injury as soon as Saturday.

The rookie center appeared to suffer a broken jaw Tuesday after a collision with teammate Zach Randolph during a loss to Portland. But Griz coach Lionel Hollins described Thabeet's injury as a "fractured bone on the lower jaw along the teeth line."

Thabeet will miss only a matter of days.

"It's a hairline fracture," Hollins said. "They've got it wired. Obviously, it'll be a pain issue, but we'll see what happens."

Hollins said the timing of the injury was bad, too. He'd decided to give the 7-footer consistent playing time.

"I was going to give him that time regardless of what's happening on the floor," Hollins said. "Unfortunately, he got hurt. But he's lucky. He wouldn't able to play with the whole jaw fractured." "