Golden State Warriors wing Moses Moody suffers severe knee injury
Golden State Warriors wing Moses Moody was stretchered off the court with a serious non-contact left knee injury during Monday’s overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
The 22-year-old collapsed with just over a minute remaining in the extra period after stealing the ball from Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg.
As he planted his leg to attempt an uncontested dunk, his knee buckled visibly beneath him.
Devastating blow for injury-hit Warriors
Play continued briefly before medical staff and visibly distressed teammates rushed to his aid under the basket.
Arena personnel eventually brought a stretcher onto the floor to carefully remove the stricken player following a lengthy stoppage.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr confirmed the team immediately sent the player for X-rays following the final buzzer.
“We don’t know what it is, but it sure looked bad,” Kerr said.
A brutal setback after impressive return
The injury casts a dark shadow over a hard-fought 137-131 road win for the visitors.
It marks a cruel twist of fate for the fifth-year professional, who had only just returned from a right wrist sprain that sidelined him for 10 games.
Prior to the incident, the former lottery pick had been enjoying a stellar performance, registering 23 points and three steals while effectively defending Flagg throughout the second half.
Crisis deepens in Golden State
This latest setback compounds a miserable medical crisis for the Western Conference franchise.
They are already navigating the season without veteran forward Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
Furthermore, star point guard Stephen Curry has been absent for the past 22 fixtures due to a persistent right knee problem of his own.
The sidelined wing is currently in the first season of a three-year contract extension worth $39m (£30.8m) and was enjoying a career-best campaign averaging 11.9 points per game.