LOS ANGELES, 15 November 2003 — The Chicago Bulls lost a game but it could have been much worse when their young star Jamal Crawford was rushed to a nearby hospital after landing on his head.
Latrell Sprewell nailed a 3-pointer to force overtime, and buried a pair of key jumpers in the extra session on Thursday night, lifting the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves past the Chicago Bulls for the ninth straight time, 92-89.
“Whenever you win and are able to knock down shots like that, it just feels good,” said Sprewell in a victory that was tempered by Crawford’s injury.
Two minutes into fourth quarter, Crawford went airborne and landed awkwardly on the back of his head, just above the neck while trying to block a shot by former teammate Fred Hoiberg.
Though Crawford was moving around and talking after the fall, Bulls’ trainer Fred Tedeschi quickly attended to him for nearly 10 minutes. He was put in a neck brace, taped to a stretcher, and taken off the floor before being rushed to a hospital for precautionary measures.
“It was just one of those fluke things,” said Hoiberg. “I just hope he’s OK.”
“You worry when they’re not moving,” Tedeschi said. “Him being able to answer questions and participate in his own care was positive.”
Sprewell led Minnesota with a season-high 27 points. Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Sam Cassell finished with 17 points.
Jalen Rose scored 25 points while Eddie Curry added 15 to pace Chicago.
“When something like that happens, you immediately think the worst,” Rose said. “Fortunately for us and fortunately for Jamal, that didn’t happen. We did get word he’s doing fine. It looks a lot worse than it is.”
Sprewell’s short baseline jumper with 1:37 left in overtime gave the Timberwolves a short-lived before Kendall Gill countered to knot it at 86 apiece.
With the 24-second shot clock about to expire, Sprewell snapped the tie, by nailing a turnaround jumper from the top of the key with a minute remaining. Cassell sank four free throws in the final 13 seconds to seal the victory.
Elsewhere:
Dallas Mavericks 97 Houston Rockets 86: Antoine Walker scored seven of his 17 points in a game-breaking 22-8 third quarter run, to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists, as the hosts Mavericks stopped the Rockets’ four-game winning streak.
Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points for Dallas, (6-3), which took its fifth straight victory from its Texas rivals, following a 4-0 series sweep last season. Steve Nash added 16 points, Michael Finley, 14, while reserve Antawn Jamison chipped in with 13 and eight rebounds.
Jim Jackson tallied 23 points for Houston (5-2). Steve Francis added 15 points, Kelvin Cato and Yao Ming had 12 apiece.
Portland Trail Blazers 112 Sacramento Kings 110 (OT): Zach Randolph has 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Rasheed Wallace hit the go-ahead basket in overtime, rallying the Trail Blazers from a 24-point first-half deficit over the visiting Kings.
Bonzi Wells and Wallace added 26 points apiece as Portland (5-3) won its third in a row.
The Trail Blazers took their first lead of the game, 109-107, on Damon Stoudemire’s layin with 3:23 left in the overtime session. Wallace followed with the decisive dunk, 28 seconds later, putting the hosts ahead by four.
Mike Bibby’s 3-pointer pulled the Kings to within, 111-110, but Doug Christie missed a potential go-ahead jumper.
After Wallace made the second of two free throws with 5.8 seconds left, Bibby went for the tie, but misfired on a 20-foot jumper as time expired. Peja Stojakovic scored 27 points, and Bibby finished with 26 and 15 assists for Sacramento, (4-4), which has lost three of its last four contests.
