Pacers’ Delon Wright leaves preseason win over Timberwolves after brutal head collision with Jaylen Clark
In the second quarter of the preseason game at Target Center, Wright was dribbling near the halfway line when Timberwolves forward Jaylen Clark sprinted to try to steal the ball from behind. Wright didn’t see Clark coming until it was too late and turned his head at the worst moment.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
Clark’s head collided directly with Wright’s side as he turned left, and Wright was sent crashing hard to the field. Clark remained standing and was called for a foul on the play.
Wright remained down for a while, but was eventually helped up and headed towards the locker room. He did not return, and the Pacers immediately ruled him out of the remainder of the game with a concussion. Further specifications are not yet known.
Wright had two points in four minutes when he left the game. The 33-year-old has rebounded throughout his big league career. After the Toronto Raptors selected him with the No. 20 overall pick out of Utah in 2015, he spent time with the Grizzlies, Mavericks, Pistons, Kings, Hawks, Wizards, Heat, Bucks and Knicks before landing with the Pacers on a training camp deal. He is looking to fight for the final roster spot this season. If successful, they would mark the sixth team he has played for in the past four seasons.
Clark also was eventually ruled out of the game with neck spasms. He didn’t score, but he had a rebound and an assist in eight minutes. Last season he averaged 4.1 points during his rookie season in Minnesota.
RayJ Dennis led the Pacers with 16 points off the bench in a 135-134 overtime win. Pascal Siakam scored 14 points and shot 3-of-5 from behind the arc in 14 minutes, while Aaron Nesmith scored 12 points. Johnny Juzang led the Timberwolves with 20 points on six 3-pointers off the bench. Anthony Edwards scored 17 points in 19 minutes in the loss.
The Pacers have three preseason games left before opening the season on October 23 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Timberwolves have four more, including one against the Guangzhou Loong-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, before their season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 22.