Sixers' Nocioni sprains ankle while training for Argentina

The 76ers' Andres Nocioni sprained his left ankle Friday while training with Argentina's national team and is out indefinitely pending results of X-rays and an MRI exam.

A report in Argentina suggested Nocioni could be out for roughly 20 days.

Ed Stefanski, the Sixers' president/general manager, said he was awaiting the test results, which will be forwarded to the Sixers' medical staff.

"Until then, we don't know the severity of the situation," Stefanski said.

Given that, it would be premature to question whether the injury will affect Nocioni's availability to play in the World Championships, which begin Aug. 28 in Turkey.

Nocioni, 30, a 6-7 forward, was acquired with Spencer Hawes from Sacramento in a trade for Samuel Dalembert. He averaged 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 75 games with the Kings last season.

Villanova's Jay Wright will coach a 10-man USA select team training against the USA World Championship team Aug. 10-13 in New York.

The team includes Duke's Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, and Connecticut's Kemba Walker.

Three players with local ties, who worked out in Las Vegas with the select team, did not make the cut - Temple's Lavoy Allen, Syracuse's Scoop Jardine (Neumann-Goretti) and Kansas' Marcus Morris (Prep Charter).

The NBA will announce its marquee national television games for the season openers, Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day during an hourlong "NBA Schedule Selection Special" tonight at 7 o'clock on NBA TV.

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Daily News' Sixers blog, Sixerville, at

http://go.philly.com/sixerville.