March Madness: Pundit begs TNT not to replay ankle injury, only for it to be shown seconds later
Ex-NBA player-turned-analyst Brendan Haywood begged TNT producers to avoid replaying a nasty-looking injury sustained by a UCLA player against Northwestern at March Madness, only for his plea to fall on deaf ears.
With 23.3 seconds remaining in the second half of Saturday's second-round game in Sacramento, California, David Singleton immediately went to ground after turning his ankle.
As the UCLA guard laid down in serious pain at Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, Haywood urged and pleaded with his production crew not to reshow a highlight of what seemed to be a severe ankle twist.
'I think he hurt his ankle,' said Haywood, who won an NBA ring with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. 'Oh my goodness. Oh no, that looked like his leg.
'Please don't show that again. Please do not show that again, if that's what I think it is. Don't show it.'
UCLA guard David Singleton, 24, rolled his ankle with 23.3 seconds left against Northwestern
“PLEASE DON’T SHOW THAT AGAIN!” - Brendan Haywood, live on air
/producer shows it 3 seconds later/
awkward. pic.twitter.com/GTJLHmdUYT
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) March 19, 2023
Singleton reacted by lying down in pain, following what many feared was a broken ankle at first
The game's broadcasting crew immediately showed a replay, anyway, despite it being initially feared that Singleton may have broken his ankle.
Thankfully, the 24-year-old was able to get back on his feet and managed to walk off the court with help from his teammates. He was later seen back on the Bruins bench, in time for the usual end-of-game handshakes.
It remains to be seen whether Singleton could feature in the tournament's Sweet 16 round. The UCLA senior classman was brought into the starting lineup for the Bruins' last regular season game on March 2.
Singleton has gone on to start for the Bruins every game since then (6), two of those being at March Madness. Before taking on Northwestern, UCLA beat University North Carolina Asheville in the tournament's first round.
Singleton has been a prolific three-point shooter during his five years in college, shooting over 43 percent from beyond the arc for the Bruins in 163 games. This season, the guard's started 15 out of a possible 36 games for his school.
He's also currently averaging 9.1 points per game and 2.8 rebounds.
Singleton was carried off the court by teammates & is now a doubt for UCLA's Sweet 16 game
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