Midway through the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Thunder center Nerlens Noel was stretchered off of the court after suffering a vicious blow to the head while mid-air. The collision ended with his head hitting the court on his way down.
Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins drove hard to the basket, and as Noel elevated to meet him in the air, Wiggins’s elbow made contact with Noel’s face, rendering him helpless almost immediately.
Almost as soon as Noel hit the ground, the Thunder medical staff rushed out to the court and began signaling for a stretcher.
The extent of Noel’s injury is unknown at this time, but the Thunder will miss him on the court, and fans everywhere are praying he has a quick recovery.
We will keep you updated on the status of the injury.
Looked terrible. Hopefully everything is just a precaution and he’s going to be OK.