Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. was taken off the court in a wheelchair on Tuesday night after suffering multiple head injuries during their win over the Miami Heat.
Hardaway, according to NBA insider Chris Haynesis now receiving stitches after receiving blows to the face and the back of the head. An initial CAT scan was negative, although further details about his injury are not yet known.
Midway through the third quarter of the NBA Cup game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Hardaway was accidentally elbowed by Heat star Bam Adebayo while driving through the lane. Adebayo’s elbow drilled Hardaway directly in the face, although no foul was called.
Hardaway quickly got up and tried to take the lead as Tyler Herro drove to the track, but Hardaway’s head hit back hard onto the field as he hit the ground.
Hardaway remained on the track for quite some time. He was eventually taken off the field in a wheelchair with a towel over his head. He didn’t come back.
Hardaway finished with 11 points and shot 3-for-6 from the field in 19 minutes on Tuesday night. He is averaging 12.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game this season, his first with the Pistons after spending the last six with the Dallas Mavericks.
“I didn’t actually see it when it happened live, but they said he was doing well and was just being evaluated,” Tobias Harris said via the . “We are praying for him and making sure he is doing well because he is a huge part of our team.”
The Pistons earned a 123-121 overtime victory on Tuesday thanks to a , who tried to call a timeout when he didn’t have one with less than two seconds left in the extra period. That led to one , who was astounded.
The Pistons, who have a 5-7 record after the win, are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks.
