Turner's Tumble Leaves Him Hoping for a Speedy Recovery
By John Porentas
You often hear it from people who are in violent car accidents or other violent events in which they are injured. It seems like the whole thing happens in slow motion, from the time they see that onrushing semi to the time it hits them and mashes their car.
OSU point forward Evan Turner had one of those slow-motion moments recently, but it didn't involve any kind of trucks, cars, motorcycles, or airplanes. All that was involved in Turner's moment was a steel rim and some hardwood.
"I thought I was in the air for like five or 10 seconds, but I pretty much just fell off the rim and hit the ground pretty quick," said Turner who had the advantage of seeing video of his fall in OSU's 111-60 win over Eastern Michigan.
Turner's slow-motion moment came on an innocent-looking fast break opportunity about mid-way through the first half. As it unfolded it looked like an easy play. Turner said that it was almost too easy, and that's what helped cause his problem.
"I got the ball and was dribbling up the middle of the court," Turner said.
"One of my teammates was on the right side and I was thinking somebody was going to stop the ball, but nobody stopped the ball at all.
"I was so surprised I kind of fumbled when I went up, and the kid (defender) kind of hit my right arm and I didn't have balance," Turner said.
The surprise of an unimpeded drive to the rim plus the contact was enough to throw off Turner's timing just enough for him to miss grabbing the rim to stabilize himself, and that led quickly to his slow motion experience.
"I just didn't grab the front of the rim. I missed the rim," Turner said.
Leading the team to the finals of the Big Ten tournament accounts for two extra games, so he'd then need to add four more games in the Big Dance. Not counting the first round, that means Final Four. Of course, he'd likely have thrown down half a dozen double-doubles and probably yet another triple-double in this stretch, so we should expect that from him as well. 
