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FacebookDiggDel.icio.usMore Peter J. Thompson/National Post Raptors point guard T.J. Ford was felled by an abdominal strain at Monday night’s team practice. TORONTO — Jason Kapono could not help but laugh. After seeing teammate T.J. Ford go down with yet another injury - this time an abdominal strain - in the team’s first practice since the all-star break, Kapono had to crack a smile. I’m not laughing because it’s funny. I’m laughing because it’s sad, Kapono said Monday night.

It’s unbelievable the type of things he has gone through, from being carried off on a stretcher, to spraining his [wrist] in his third game back, and now his first practice, having a strain. Ford will be re-evaluated Tuesday, but the injury has once again derailed, if ever so slightly, the point guard’s hopes of getting his game legs back under him. As Kapono said, Ford’s season has been full of bad luck. On Dec.

11, of course, he suffered a neck injury after being hit from behind by Atlanta’s Al Horford. He missed almost two months. Six days after his return from that injury, Ford suffered a sprained wrist, causing him to miss a game-and-a-half before the break. Ford’s wrist was in fine working order yesterday, as he participated in all of the team’s drills. However, Ford took one sharp cut, and then teammate Chris Bosh said he heard a slight grunt. It was just a regular cut.

I think it’s just one of those things that he moves so fast, and he’s so quick, I guess his body needs time, Bosh said. And he just hasn’t had that time yet. Hopefully this won’t be a major setback for him. Coach Sam Mitchell, himself just back from a week without the team after the passing of his father-in-law, empathized with Ford. Sometimes when you go through the tough times you grow, Mitchell said. You get better in other areas. Maybe it’s T.J.’s time.