LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Oklahoma City center Nerlens Noel was stretchered off the court on Tuesday after a hard fall in the third quarter of the Thunder’s NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Noel, 24, took an elbow to the face as he tried to defend Minnesota’s driving Andrew Wiggins and crashed to the court.
As he lay motionless, medical personnel were called. His teammates and fans at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena looked on in concern as he was strapped to a stretcher and wheeled away.
Noel was charged with a foul on the play and after a review no further fouls were called.
Things were tense when play resumed and minutes later a scuffle between thunder guard Dennis Schroder and Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague saw Teague ejected with a double technical foul and Schroder whistled for a technical.
© Agence France-Presse