Bobcats' Michael Kidd-Gilchrist hospitalized after blow to head
By Ben Golliver
Bobcats rookie forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was hospitalized after taking a blow to the head during a 109-95 loss to the Rockets in Houston on Saturday night.
Kidd-Gilchrist, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, appeared to take a knee to the back of the head from teammate Jeff Taylor and lay motionless on the court for a number of minutes. He was eventually wheeled off the court on a stretcher with his neck immobilized.
The Charlotte Observer reported that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap told reporters that Kidd-Gilchrist was able to move his extremities and that he was communicating with medical personnel.
The Bobcats issued a release late Saturday night indicating that Kidd-Gilchrist had suffered a concussion, but that X-rays and a CT scan were negative for additional head and neck injuries. He was hospitalized overnight as a precaution and will be subject to the NBA's concussion protocols, which require a player to pass a series of tests and receive clearance from Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the head of the NBA's concussion program, before returning to the court.
With a little less than 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bobcats leading 80-79, Kidd-Gilchrist attempted to contest a running lay-up by Toney Douglas in transition. Taylor, trailing the play, appeared to contact Kidd-Gilchrist as he came back to the court.
Kidd-Gilchrist departed with four points, five rebounds and one block in 20 minutes.
