SIDELINES : Broken Hand Knocks Out Knick

NEW YORK — The slumping New York Knicks lost forward Charles Oakley for six to eight weeks today after X-rays revealed he suffered a broken left hand in Tuesday night’s 121-118 loss to Orlando.

Oakley, the Knicks’ leading rebounder and second leading scorer, broke the fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand in the first quarter of the game. He was examined at Lenox Hill Hospital by team physician Dr. Norman Scott, who placed the hand in a cast.

Oakley is averaging 11.9 rebounds and 14.6 points per game for the Knicks, who have lost four straight and slipped into second place in the NBA’s Atlantic Division.