Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Andrew Bynum won’t be in action this week when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden on Thursday.

The Lakers announced in a press release on Monday that an MRI revealed Bynum tore the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee.

“Bynum, who suffered the injury early in the first quarter of Saturday’s victory over Memphis after having scored seven of the Lakers’ first 13 points, will be out approximately 8-12 weeks,” the statement reads. “The MRI was performed Sunday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Bynum was examined this afternoon by Dr. David Altchek.”

Bynum, a 7-foot 285-pound fourth-year player out of St. Joseph’s High School in New Jersey, played in just 35 games in 2007-08 because of a season-ending knee injury (his left knee) last January. He underwent arthroscopic surgery last May.

Los Angeles signed Bynum to a multi-year contract extension this fall. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent through 46 games this season.

During an interview with Mike Trudell for the Lakers website, a fairly optimistic Bynum said he hoped his recovery didn’t take the full eight weeks and that his rehab would really pick up after the fifth or sixth week.

“I was worried until we got results of the MRI, because obviously I didn‘t want to miss the whole season again since I just did that last year,” Bynum said to Lakers.com. “After we got the results back he told me it was a pretty severe sprain, but it’s better than anything else that could’ve happened and no surgery needed. I’m just going to rehab it and get back out on the court.”

The Lakers currently have the best record in the Western Conference at 38-9.

How do you think this changes things in the Western Conference? In the NBA? Does this alter your thoughts about a potential Celtics-Lakers Finals match-up?