TORONTO (AP) -Raptors guard T.J. Ford was released from an Atlanta hospital Wednesday and flew home to Toronto, one day after his head struck the floor and he was removed from the court on a stretcher.
“I talked to him last night and I talked to him today,” Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said. “He seems to be doing fine, emotionally and otherwise. He’s a little sore and a little stiff right now.”
Ford was injured when Atlanta rookie Al Horford struck him on the head and knocked him down as Ford was trying to score on a breakaway with 1:32 left in the game. Horford, who was ejected for a flagrant foul, said he was trying to block Ford’s shot.
Ford spent the night in Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital for observation and tests. The Raptors said Ford had feeling in his extremities when taken off the court.
The Raptors sent a plane to Atlanta for Ford, director of basketball operations Marc Eversley and assistant trainer Rory Mullin. On the way back to Toronto, the plane stopped in Baltimore to collect forward Jorge Garbajosa, who had surgery on his left leg Tuesday.
A smiling Ford received a loud ovation when he walked out to the Raptors bench during a second quarter timeout in Wednesday’s game against Dallas.
Toronto’s medical staff will conduct their own assessment of Ford’s condition. No timetable has been set for his return.
“We just hope we can get him through this,” Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. “When he feels up to it, he’ll start practicing again.”
In 2001, Ford was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the openings of the vertebra the spinal cord runs through.
He was injured in a February 2004 collision with Mark Madsen, then missed the final 26 games of that season and the entire 2004-05 season with Milwaukee because of neck surgery.
Ford was sidelined by a stinger during last season’s first round playoff series against New Jersey. He missed six games earlier this season with a stinger in his left arm, the result of a Nov. 20 collision with Dallas’ Josh Howard. Ford, who returned to action on Dec. 7, is averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 assists.
Despite Ford’s injury history, Colangelo said he expects the 24-year-old to recover and continue playing.
“You’re always concerned about that type of thing and you monitor it,” Colangelo said. “The way I understand it, what’s been told to me by the various experts that have been consulted is as long as there’s no change in the neurological signs and the imaging remains unchanged, he should be fine and at no greater risk than he was prior to these episodes.”
Colangelo also said the Hawks contacted the Raptors to express remorse about the incident.
“I know that Horford feels awful about it,” Colangelo said. “He spent a couple of hours at the hospital with (T.J.) last night and, true to T.J.’s form, he was probably doing more of the consoling. I think the kid (Horford) was pretty shaken up about it. He felt awful. I don’t think there was any intention to do harm.”
Ford scored 26 points in the Raptors’ 100-88 victory.
“He was starting to get his rhythm back,” Mitchell said. “He was unguardable last night.”
The Raptors have battled a number of injuries this season, with Ford, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Garbajosa all missing time.
“I can’t remember the last time we had our team intact,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a while.”
Guard Jose Calderon and forward Jason Kapono were both healthy for Wednesday’s game. Calderon missed time Tuesday because of a dislocated finger on his left hand but returned in the fourth quarter. Kapono left in the second with a sprained left wrist and did not return.
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