Patrick McCaw was stretchered off the court during Golden State’s win over the Kings on Saturday night after taking a scary fall onto his back. McCaw was fouled by Vince Carter as he jumped for a dunk, causing him to lose his balance and land squarely on his back.
Everyone at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento feared the worst as the Warriors’ second-year man was placed on a backboard for stabilization and stretchered out. Carter was visibly shaken by McCaw’s injury and apologized to the Warriors for his role in the incident, telling the media after the game he just hoped McCaw’s long-term health would not be impacted.
Overnight, some good news emerged as McCaw underwent various tests, starting with chest x-rays that came back clear, followed by a CT scan that was likewise clear. The last test for McCaw was an MRI on Sunday, and word trickled out from various reporters that the MRI showed no structural damage and he could possibly be released from the hospital later in the day.
Sources: MRI on Warriors‘ Pat McCaw returned structurally sound, and hope is for McCaw to be discharged from hospital Sunday. No return timetable yet.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2018
ESPN Sources: Golden State guard Patrick McCaw cleared all tests, including MRI, and expectation is he’ll be released from hospital today. No official diagnosis as of now and return timetable to be determined.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 1, 2018
This is very good news and seems to be the best case scenario for McCaw considering the apparent severity of the fall. Monte Poole of NBC Sports reported the diagnosis was a “lumbar spine contusion.”
The damage in the wake of Pat McCaw's scary fall Saturday is not as severe as feared. #Warriors guard tested negative on X-rays and CT scan last night and MRI test Sunday morning. Has a 'lumbar spine contusion' and should be released from hospital today.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) April 1, 2018
It’s too early to know what any timetable may be for a return to the court, but it’s very good to know McCaw did not suffer any structural damage or serious back injury beyond what is surely a very painful deep bruise.
