David Patrick's basketball season has come to a disastrous end after the Bermudian star suffered a serious knee injury at the weekend.

Patrick, who plays for the Canberra Cannons in Australia's National Basketball League, was playing against the Townsville Crocodiles when the injury happened on Saturday.

The point guard was attempting to gain possession of the ball when he suffered damage to his cruciate ligament.

The Cannons have declared Patrick's season over and believe he may be on the sidelines for as long as six months.

Melinda Healy, spokeswoman for the club, told TheRoyal Gazette yesterday: "At the time of the injury he was hustling after a loose ball and fell.

"He was taken into the changeroom with our team doctor and physio but remained courtside for the second-half with his knee in a brace."

The injury was the subject of investigation yesterday.

"He had an MRI scan today, so we should know more later today or by the latest first thing tomorrow as to the extent of the injury," said Healy. "He has torn the anterior cruciate ligament and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season - six months - but again until we have to wait for the MRI results to know for sure the time frame."

The Cannons won the best of three series against the Crocodiles with the 112-105 victory, but it was no consolation for Patrick or his coach Cal Bruton, who recently called the Bermudian "the most tenacious" of the Cannons' guards in defence.

"We beat the runners-up and I'm really proud of that fact but I can't put a smile on because I've got a lot of feeling for DP and I know what he's been bringing to the table," Bruton said.

"My mind is working at a thousand miles an hour trying to figure out how we are going to offset that loss."

To call it a sad end to Patrick's term would be an understatement.

The player had made in-roads into the starting team after injuries to other team members.

Just before Christmas he made his NBL starting debut against the Wollongong Hawks.

Prior to that game he had averaged only nine minutes a game having made a number of cameo appearances during the season.

"I try to have a positive attitude. Some games I'm not going to play much, but that's what happens when you're playing behind probably the best point guard in the NBL," he said recently in reference to the player he replaced, CJ Bruton.

The injury has left the Cannons, eighth in the 11 team NBL ladder, seeking damage control for tomorrow night's game against the Taipans in Cairns. The team has to play four games in the next 10 days and have only eight available players.

"We've played with eight players before - it would be the third time this season," said Bruton. "But this game is obviously very important to us and it is a winnable game."