Mavericks’ Jalen Bronson sent to the locker room after a controversial injury from Jazz’s Royce O’Neill

With Luka Doncic Due to a calf injury, the Dallas Mavericks They needed a supporting cast to advance into their first round series with Utah Jazz. In Game 2 Monday Night, Galen Bronson He did that and more, earning 41 career points to lead the Mavs to a massive 1-1 series tie win.

Bronson carried that momentum into Game Three Thursday night in Salt Lake City, where he finished with 31 points and five assists to lead the Mavericks to a 126-118 win and a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, his night wasn’t perfect. In the middle of the second quarter, it took a painful turn.

With five minutes of play in the quarter, the Jazz dropped the ball to the ground and Mike Conley Pick and roll ran with Rudy Gobert. After gaining some space, Conley fired 3 that only grabbed the bottom of the net. It seemed like a regular play, and it should have been. But when the ball was in the air, Bronson turned around for a closed box Royce O’Neillwho came on the offensive and sent Bronson sprawling with a heavy blow in the back.

Here’s a replay of the incident from the top corner:

Bronson stayed low for a while and was holding his lower back once he finally got to his feet. He initially tried to stay in the game, but was too boisterous and made a mistake to stop play. He also had a technical glitch for complaining about the lack of something called O’Neill.

“Royce hit me with the elbow in the back and that’s it,” Bronson said. “I said what I had to say. It’s over. Everything feels good with the win.”

Once Bronson was out of the game, he went straight to the locker room for further assessment. Fortunately, he managed to make a comeback after the break, apparently surviving any kind of serious injury. This is great news for the Mavericks, as they cannot afford to lose another major shareholder.