Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried placed on stretcher & taken to hospital

DENVER Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried was taken off the court on a stretcher with a neck brace on Saturday night after his team’s loss to the Warriors.

Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is taken off the court on a stretcher after an injury at the end of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

DENVER Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried was taken off the court on a stretcher with a neck brace to stabilize him Saturday night after his team’s loss to the Warriors.

The Nuggets said Faried was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons while the team flew home to prepare for a game Sunday against Portland.

Faried raised his arm for a thumbs up to fans who stuck around after Golden State’s 111-108 overtime victory. He left the arena approximately 10 minutes after the game ended and after being attended to by medical personnel.

Faried took an elbow to the back of the neck while jostling for a rebound late in overtime. He immediately reached to rub his neck but did not appear seriously injured. Faried had feeling in his hands and feet.

Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is attended after an injury.

“Obviously any time you’re dealing with a neck or back, it’s scary,” Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson said. “I didn’t see the play. We were playing. There are no dirty guys out there. Nobody did anything intentional. Hopefully he’s good.”

Faried — Denver’s leading rebounder — scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds in nearly 29 minutes for the Nuggets, who lost their fifth straight game. The team’s first-round pick in 2011, Faried previously missed three games this season with a sprained left ankle.

Originally published as Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried placed on stretcher & taken to hospital