OAKLAND — When asked to describe his reaction to Patrick McCaw’s spinal cord injury on Saturday night, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr continues to reiterate the same operative: ‘terrifying.’
Late in the third quarter, Sacramento Kings forward Vince Carter undercut McCaw as the Warriors guard elevated for a layup. McCaw, suspended in midair, fell hard on his back and writhed in apparent pain. In the ensuing 10 minutes, the Warriors training staff tended to McCaw, both teams gathered in prayer, and Carter held back tears as McCaw was carried off the court on a stretcher, a rare sight in basketball.
With McCaw escorted to the UC Davis Medical Center, Kerr and the Warriors could hardly focus on the game. Spinal injuries are the most serious in sports, as Kerr pointed out on Sunday afternoon. Those haunting images of McCaw, immobilized and crying in pain, wouldn’t escape Kerr.
“(It was the) scariest thing I have ever experienced on a basketball floor, for sure,” Kerr said before Golden State’s Sunday matchup with Phoenix. “Not even close.”
A roller coaster of emotion filled the Warriors in the hours following McCaw’s injury. After the game, the Warriors were notified that McCaw had regained feeling in his extremities, according to Kerr. But once Kerr, members of the coaching staff, and players visited McCaw in the hospital, the horrifying images of him lying on the Golden 1 Center court resurfaced.
“We were very encouraged, but when we got there he was not doing great,” Kerr said. “He was lying immobilized, maybe a little bit in shock. I think he had some pain killers. It wasn’t really until this morning that I felt good about the news, and everything seems to be progressing now.”
The news on Sunday morning came as a massive relief: McCaw hadn’t suffered any structural damage after undergoing X-rays, a CT scan, and an MRI. The Warriors diagnosed McCaw’s injury as a ‘lumbar spine contusion.’ He will follow up with a specialist on Thursday. Kerr said he believes McCaw will return to Oakland on Sunday evening.
When asked about McCaw’s potential return to the court, Kerr declined to provide a timetable.
“Right now, that is not on our minds,” Kerr said.
The Warriors have been decimated with injuries throughout March. Each of Golden State’s four All-Stars — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green — have missed time. Omri Casspi continues to sit due to an ankle injury.
With the team working to return its complete roster for the playoffs, which start on Apr. 14, McCaw’s injury provides some perspective: that health takes all precedence.
“The only thing that matters, is that Patrick is OK,” Kerr said. “Thank God.”