Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. was carted off on a stretcher following collision (Video)
By Scott Rogust
The Miami Heat forward had a scary injury during Friday’s contest against the Indiana Pacers
Friday was an important day for the Miami Heat, as they concluded their regular season against the Indiana Pacers. The winner would secure the fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs, while loser is given the No. 5 ranking entering their playoff matchup. Unfortunately, this exciting matchup took a backseat due to a terrifying injury.
During the third quarter of the game, Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. was chasing Pacers forward Doug McDermott, who had possession of the ball. As Jones tried guarding Lamb, he ran straight into a screen set by Indiana center Goga Bitadze, causing his neck to whiplash.
Basketball took a backseat to the horrific scene inside the bubble
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Jones laid down on the court for a few minutes after getting hit in the head/shoulder area, but was moving his legs. Despite that, Jones didn’t make an effort to get up as he grabbed his neck, before he was ultimately carted off by medical staff.
ESPN’s Rachel Nichols reported that Jones underwent an MRI and CT scan, but didn’t experience any numbness in his body.
Jones played 16 minutes on Friday, where he scored three points on two shots, while grabbing two rebounds and dished out two assists. In 59 regular season games, Jones averaged 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field. Jones is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on Jones’ health status once the Heat provide further details.