Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks suffers a horrific injury

A gruesome scene occurred 5:59 minutes before the end of the third quarter of Monday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz American Airlines Center.

Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks fell to the ground after jogging to the right side of the basket at Utah's end of the court. No one touched Hendricks when he tripped over himself and landed with his right leg bent sideways, ending up with a fractured right fibula and a dislocated right ankle.

As fans watched in horror, medics immediately rushed onto the field and pulled Hendricks off the ground. The game resumed about 15 minutes later with the Mavs holding a 64-59 lead.

“I put my hand on his shoulder, but I'm sure he was in shock,” Mavs guard Kyrie Irving said. “I was unfortunately part of some of those injuries that happened on the field.

“I just pray for him, pray for his family, pray that he comes back even stronger. As an athlete, it's psychological when you see something like that, but then you have to keep playing. But we definitely feel bad for him, I feel bad for him and I just pray that he’s okay.”

Mavs center Dereck Lively II said of Hendricks' injury: “I have a memory of Gordon Hayward. Prayers to (Hendricks).

“You never want this to happen to anyone, no matter if they are your worst enemy. Prayers to him and his family.”

On October 17, 2017, playing his first game for Boston, Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and a sprained ankle in his left leg during the Celtics' regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hayward landed awkwardly on the floor after Irving attempted an alley-oop pass that was his Celtics player. teammate at the time.

HARDY IS EXTREMELY HIGH ON IRVING: From his seat, Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy said more people should be talking and raving about Mavs guard Kyrie Irving.

Hardy said that Irving's skills were unmatched and were among the best in NBA history.

“He’s a lot better than everyone else,” Hardy said before Monday’s Mavs-Jazz game. “I think we’re also blinded by the spectacular games.”

Hardy believes Irving is such a phenomenal player that he should give a master class on how to shoot a basketball.

“He’s one of the most fundamental players we have,” Hardy said. “If you watch Kyrie shoot an open pull-up jumper, that’s what it isYou would teach someone to shoot it.

“His base is perfect and wide, he jumps straight up and down, he holds his follow-through, he lands on both feet and he barely hits the edge.”

And that's not the only thing that fascinates Hardy about Irving.

“The spectacular plays he makes, the crazy finishes, the incredible ball handling are the stuff that makes highlight reels and Instagram pictures and all that stuff, but his fundamentals are incredible,” Hardy said. “Yes, he is one of the most talented players I have ever seen.

“I obviously haven’t experienced the NBA the entire time. But it’s hard for me to name ten players who have ever played in this league who, in my opinion, are more skilled than him.”

MEAGER: Mavs forward Maxi Kleber (right hamstring strain) and guard Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) did not play Monday and will not make the trip to Minnesota for Tuesday's game against the Timberwolves. Coach Jason Kidd said Kleber's injury is not long-term. “Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury in (last Saturday’s) game against the (Phoenix) Suns,” Kidd said. “We'll see how everything develops here in the next few days and get one Timeline”. .Kidd said the Mavs unfortunately faded a bit during the 12-point loss to the Suns following the 11-point win over the San Antonio Spurs last Thursday. “Just talking to the group, sometimes you feel good about a win,” Kidd said. “Talking to the group, they felt good. Maybe a little smug. Understanding, the Suns are a good team. Unfortunately we just didn't have the mentality we had against Spurs. That's something we've talked about as a group and hopefully we can learn from it.” Before Monday's game, Kidd discussed his new players and what to expect when they play with players like Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. “When you play with stars, it takes time,” Kidd said. “Understanding that you are playing with the best in the world can be a bit nerve-wracking at times. So you have to be patient, you have to go through the good and the bad and learn from each other as we move forward on this journey. I just have to understand the different defensive schemes and then play with Luka and (Irving). This is no different than when we made the trade for (Irving). It just takes time.”

X: @DwainPrice