It happened in the fourth quarter with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation and the Grizzlies holding an 88-83 lead. Adams was walking towards the scorer's table to check into the game as the Knicks were on offense, with point guard Derrick Rose controlling the ball along the opposite side of the court. Rose threw a pass across the court, apparently intended for Cam Reddish. We can only guess that Reddish was the intended recipient, as the pass went nowhere near him or any other Knicks teammate. Instead, the pass went out of bounds, with the ball hitting Adams square in the side of the head.
The funny thing was, Adams shook it off like nothing happened, when most people would have been stunned or dazed and possibly knocked to the floor. ESPN NBA commentators Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy pointed this out in a humorous take:
Van Gundy: "Steven Adams got it right on his head."
Breen: "(He) just smiles."
Van Gundy: "How does that not knock you out?"
Breen: "Most people would be down on the ground writhing in pain."
Van Gundy: "That was a fastball to the head!"
Breen: "The ball has a dent in it."
Adams is known for his toughness, having once shot a free throw with his left hand after injuring the other hand while being fouled. This wouldn't be the first time Adams has appeared on Shaqtin' a Fool, but this time it would be as an "innocent bystander".
Adams only scored 3 points, but grabbed 14 rebounds as the Grizzlies beat the Knicks 115-112 in overtime.
[NBA]
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
