WALTHAM, Mass. – Boston Celtics starting point guard Rajon Rondo watched practice from a stationary bike Thursday as he nursed a sore right hamstring.

Rondo said he suffered the injury during the third quarter of Boston’s 117-97 win over Phoenix Wednesday night.

“He did something with his hamstring last night so we didn’t want to take the chance,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t think it’s anything bad but I actually don’t really know. He should be fine by (Friday). If he’s not we just go with somebody else.”

Rondo missed the Dec. 30 game against the Los Angeles Lakers with the same hamstring injury. The second-year point guard said will be available to play and expects to start Friday night, when the Celtics play New Orleans at TD Banknorth Garden in the third game of a four-game homestand.

“I’m playing tomorrow for sure,” Rondo said.

Rivers said the team was taking a cautious approach during Thursday’s practice.

“We didn’t ask him to do anything,” Rivers said. “Whenever you have something like that, you don’t take a chance. You just tell him to sit and see what he can do (Friday).”

While acknowledging the injury happened in the third quarter, Rondo said it wasn’t on the fake crossover on Steve Nash, when he blew by the All-Star point guard for a layup midway through the third.

Rondo did not play in the fourth quarter as the Celtics pulled away from Phoenix.

“It didnt matter,” Rondo said. “We had control of the game and I wanted to get rest and get a heat pack on it and stretched a little throughout the game just to stay ready but I didnt really want to go back in.”

Nuggets forward Nene set to return

DENVER – Denver Nuggets forward Nene is returning to the court, 2 months after surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumor.

He planned to play about 5 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Nene participated in a full scrimmage Wednesday and in the team’s shootaround Thursday. Before that, he had been limited to shooting, light running and 1-on-1 drills.

Nene underwent a single dose of chemotherapy last month. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds before his illness.

The Brazilian player took an indefinite leave of absence from the team on Jan. 11.

Trail Blazers’ Roy out 4 games with groin injury

PORTLAND, Ore. – Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss the next four games because of a groin injury.

Roy, an All-Star reserve, was injured in Tuesday night’s 102-82 victory at home over the Washington Wizards. He did not travel with the Blazers for Thursday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

The team said Roy would be re-evaluated after the four games. The second-year guard averages a team-high 19.3 points and 5.8 assists.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who missed the game against the Wizards with a sprained right ankle, did travel to Oakland, Calif., for Thursday night’s game and his availability was a game-time decision.

The Trail Blazers (38-34) have 10 games left and need four more victories to finish with a winning record.