NEW YORK (AP) – Referee Rick Crawford was stretchered off the court shortly after he was inadvertently struck in the face by LaSalle’s Steve Dack following the opening tipoff of the consolation game of the Barclays Center Classic Saturday night.
A Barclays Center spokesperson said Crawford was being taken to Brooklyn Hospital, and could move his fingers. He had bruising over his right eye, and his neck was in a brace. Both eyes were open.
Crawford threw the ball up for the opening tipoff and as Dack came down, it appeared as if his arm struck the 19-year official flush on the face. Crawford immediately fell to the court, and was tended to by trainers and medical professionals for roughly 10 minutes before being stretchered off the court.