Warriors’ McCaw leaves on stretcher after hard fall

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Warriors guard Patrick McCaw was taken away on a stretcher after he fell hard to the floor following a foul by Sacramento’s Vince Carter during a 112-96 Golden State win Saturday night.

McCaw was taken to UC Davis Medical Center, the team said. It announced late Saturday that a chest X-ray and CT scan came back clear and that McCaw would undergo an MRI.

“I just hope he’s OK,” a visibly distraught Carter said after McCaw fell. “I play this game because I love it and enjoy it, not to see young guys get hurt. He has a bright future. You can tell me whatever, it was an accident. … I don’t like to see him sitting there in pain saying he can’t feel his lower half.”

McCaw drove the baseline and went down with a thud at the 41.8-second mark of the third quarter, hit in the lower body by Carter. McCaw lay in agony for about 10 minutes as the arena silenced. Carter, who was given a flagrant-one foul, knelt nearby as medical personnel from both teams along with Warriors coach Steve Kerr rushed out to the baseline beneath Golden State’s basket.

“Vince is not that type of guy, he’s never been that type of guy,” Golden State’s Draymond Green said. “Freak accidents, things happen. A guy jumps and he didn’t touch him much if you’re as high as you can jump you lose your balance easier. I know that was tough on Vince.”

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Players for both teams eventually came to the floor as McCaw was placed on a stretcher and wheeled away with his neck stabilized. McCaw, who appeared to be trying to dunk, did a scissor kick in the air over Carter’s right shoulder before landing hard on his troublesome back.

Kerr swore and was visibly frustrated and hollered “He knows better,” referring to Carter, before going out to the court to check on his second-year guard. Carter got close to McCaw and offered some words just before the stretcher was pulled away. The two teams then gathered in a huddle before the game resumed after about a 10-minute delay.

“I remember his foot hitting the side of my leg, that’s it,” Carter said. “I’m not going to sit here and complain about a flagrant when a man can’t feel his legs.”

Carter said he approached members of the Warriors after the game and apologized. He appreciated the kind words from the Warriors but couldn’t get his mind off seeing McCaw on the floor.

“It’s all well and good but still a young man is trying to get his feeling back and that’s my concern,” Carter said. “Regardless of how it happened, accident, all of the things that they were telling me, you still want to see him OK.”

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Michael Wagaman, The Associated Press