With 18.6 seconds left before halftime, Collins rose for a dunk attempt. Lakers center Jaxson Hayes undercut him mid-air, sending the 28-year-old crashing hard to the floor.
Collins struck his head on the court, immediately began bleeding, and had to be helped off by teammates and trainers.The scene was alarming. Blood on the court. A player down. Fans stunned into silence.
After being evaluated, Collins provided a positive update via Joey Linn:“John Collins says he got some stitches but feels alright. He’s in good spirits postgame.”
The Clippers ruled him out for the remainder of the game. In just 16 minutes, Collins had scored 12 points with one rebound.
The Lakers had already built a dominant first-half lead and held on for a 125-122 victory. But the Clippers’ night got worse when Kawhi Leonard exited with five minutes left due to left ankle soreness.
“Kawhi’s been dealing with some left ankle soreness so it got stiff on him. So we got him out and JC is still being evaluated. You saw it. That’s who we are. This group, we’re going to compete. We going to fight every night. And that doesn’t look like a f*cking team that’s trying to lose to me.”
The Clippers sit ninth in the Western Conference at 27-29, fighting for playoff positioning. There’s been no official update on Leonard or Collins’ status for their upcoming game against the Orlando Magic.
Any significant absence for either player could severely impact the Clippers’ playoff chances. For now, Collins is recovering, Leonard is being evaluated, and a team already shorthanded waits anxiously.
John Collins needed stitches. He’s in good spirits. That’s the best news the Clippers could have hoped for.