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Tim BontempsESPN
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – After Miami Heat forward, Derrick Jones Jr. had to immobilize and struggle out of court after falling headlong into a collision with Indiana Pacers center Goga Bitadze in the third quarter of the 109-92 victory of Indiana On Friday afternoon, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed optimism about Jones’ status.
“He’s moving better already,” Spoelstra said after the game, which was followed by the Heat announcing via Twitter that after an MRI, CT scan and brain test, Jones was diagnosed with a neck strain.
ESPN’s Rachel Nichols reported after the game that Jones did not report stupidity in his extremities and the Heat said Jones would be re-evaluated over the weekend.
Jones chased Pacers ahead of Doug McDermott and tried to pass a screen through Bitadze, Indiana’s rookie backup center, when the two collided and Jones sprawled to the ground on his stomach.
“He hit his shoulder, neck,” said Spoelstra. “Of course a little more than a stinger.”
Jones moved his legs, but stayed down for a few minutes and made no attempt to stand up as he was approached by Miami medical staff. Eventually, both teams gathered around Jones when he was immobilized and moved to a stretcher, and then clapped for him when he was finally wheeled out of court. Shortly after Jones left the court, Heat chased All-Star Bam Adebayo – one of several veterans on each team who did not play in Friday’s game, the last for both teams here in the NBA bubble in the part of the seeding games of the scheme – jogged from the court to him.
After the game happened, Spoelstra took a time-out to manage his team and get his players back focused on the game to end the final quarter-plus of action.
Both Spoelstra and Pacers coach Nate McMillan expressed the same sentiment – that it was a bad game, and one that no one on either side wanted everyone to experience.
“We thought it was a solid screen,” McMillan Nichols said between quarters. “We thought he was pulling his neck into Goga’s shoulder. You never want to see anything like that. … We hope he’s fine.”
“We want to be competitive, but we are together, we are united as a league. You never want to see anyone fall with an injury like this. … In a game like this where you try to get ready for the playoffs , you want to get out of this game without injuries. “
Jones, 23, averaged 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game over 59 games (16 starts) this season on Friday, shooting 52.7%. He had 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 16 minutes before leaving Friday’s game.
One of the league’s most athletic players – and perhaps the best runner – Jones will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Miami and Indiana will see each other again soon – Tuesday, to be exact, as the Heat and Pacers begin their first-round playoff series. Typically, Friday’s game would have had much more significance, as Miami and Indiana entered the game in the standings, with the winner receiving the fourth seed – and, with it, home advantage – in their upcoming series.
But because both teams are in the bubble of the NBA at Walt Disney World Resort, where advantage of homecoming comes only in the form of the familiar sounds and images of the team on the video cards that surrounding the arena, no team pressed hard to win Friday’s game.
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