There are freak injuries then there is the one suffered by San Antonio Spurs forward Stephen Jackson in Madison Square Garden.
Jackson was hurt early in the first quarter Thursday night on an innocent-looking play. After missing a 3-point shot from the corner, Jackson got a slight bump from Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire and fell backwards onto a kneeling waitress who happened to be near New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was sitting courtside. It was unclear if the waitress was serving Bloomberg, who was seen eating a box of popcorn shortly after the play. And there is no truth to the online chatter that Bloomberg was ordering a soda. New Yorkers will get that joke.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called a 20-second timeout at the 2:57 mark of the quarter to allow Jackson to head for the locker room. The 13-year veteran hobbled off the floor and did not return. The Knicks went on to beat the Spurs, 100-83, snapping San Antonio’s seven-game winning streak. Watch the play: