The Charlotte Hornets traveled to Boston on Friday night for a prime-time showdown against the red-hot streaking Celtics, and it promised to be a marquee match-up between two of the NBA’s most thrilling point guards in Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.
But that was cut short midway through the first half on a freak play that sent Irving to the court with a bloody nose.
Late in the first quarter, Walker was able to get past Irving for a running floater in the lane when Aron Baynes went to contest the shot and inadvertently caught Irving with an elbow to the face.
Irving lay bleeding on the court for several minutes after the collision and was eventually helped to the locker-room. It wasn’t long before the team announced that he would not return on Friday night against the Hornets and would likely be placed in the league-mandated concussion protocol.
Kyrie Irving out for the remainder of the game and being monitored for possible concussion symptoms.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 11, 2017
The Celtics were in the midst of an NBA-best 10-game winning streak going into their match-up against Charlotte on Friday night. They were already short-handed with Al Horford currently under the NBA’s concussion protocol after sustaining a blow to the head against the Hawks.
There is no specific time-table for return once a player is placed on concussion protocol. They are required to pass a battery of tests before they are cleared to play.
