Physical injuries are not new to athletes. In the NBA, players often get hurt while giving their all while playing. But it is rare for players to collapse without getting physically hurt. On Wednesday, an unusual incident occurred that scared fans.
The Oklahoma City Thunder played against the Portland Trail Blazers. With three minutes left in the first quarter, a timeout was called.
While the players were heading to the bench, Thunder’s center, Bismack Biyombo, was seen collapsing on the sidelines. The fall was scary, as the player seemed to have lost consciousness.
The teammates and coaching staff immediately went to check on Biyombo. Thankfully, the center got up in a few seconds, holding his head. Indicating he may have hit his head while falling to the ground. After getting up, the player headed to the locker room. The fall was anticipated to not be serious as the player walked by himself to leave the court.
The player was declared out of the game for the night and will be evaluated tomorrow. The Thunder ended up winning the game 128–120.
This marked the team’s 43rd win of the season, matching the first seed in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams are tied with the same percentile of .694.
Bismack Biyombo’s fall was declared not serious
In less than an hour after Biyombo collapsed during the game, Thunder’s sideline reporter Nick Gallo gave an update on the player’s health. The reporter tweeted that Biyombo was being cleared of serious medical issues by the Trail Blazers’ physicians.
Bismack Biyombo’s fall is reported not serious. (Image via Thunder/Instagram)Despite the positive news, the Thunder decided to sub the player out for the game. The center will be monitored and evaluated tomorrow.
Bismack Biyombo has been cleared of any serious medical issue by the Blazers physicians but the Thunder will be conservative and hold him out the rest of the game for monitoring and further evaluation tomorrow.
— Nick Gallo (@NickAGallo) March 7, 2024
After the game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also gave a positive update about the player. According to Justin Martinez on X, the HC stated that Biyombo was “fine” and was also joking, laughing at halftime in the locker room.
Daigneault said Biyombo was laughing and joking at halftime, not after the game. Just wanted to correct that, but still great to hear.
— Justin Martinez (@JTheSportsDude) March 7, 2024
The OKC Thunder were the first seed in the Western Conference not too long ago. In the West, where the competition is so difficult, a team-leading conference full of young players has left an impression on NBA fans. All the players on the team need to stay healthy ahead of the playoffs.
