LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. was carted off the court and fitted for a neck brace after colliding with Indiana Pacers center Goga Bitadze late in the third quarter Friday.
Jones was trying to get around a screen from Bitadze when he collided with the 6-foot-11 center and fell to the floor. Jones lay on his stomach for several minutes with his right hand over the back of his head.
He had a towel over as he was carted off the court.
Players from both teams stood on the court in silence as Heat personnel and eventually emergency medical workers tended to Jones. Once the brace was on, they rolled him onto a backboard and lifted him onto a stretcher before wheeling him off the floor.
Heat center Bam Adebayo, one of Jones’ closest friends on the team and someone who was not playing in Friday’s game, followed the group of rescue workers off the floor. Jones appeared to have movement in most of his extremities, and was tapping the toes of his sneakers on the court several times while being evaluated.
The Heat did not have any immediate diagnosis.
Jones has averaged 8.6 points, 4 rebounds and 23.4 minutes for the Heat this season. He won the slam dunk championship during the All-Star break.
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