If there’s one thing that we can say about Paul Millsap, it’s that it takes a lot to keep him from smiling, especially after a win at home. In the third quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Heat, Millsap was making a drive towards the basket when he was involved in a bloody head-to-head collision with Justise Winslow. The collision occurred in large part due to Heat center Meyers Leonard, who shoved Millsap with a forearm in order to stop the drive. This in turn resulted in Millsap bumping heads with Winslow in a brutal fashion. Winslow remained on the ground for several seconds and Millsap’s face started bleeding profusely. Although Millsap’s night ended early and he required 11 stitches, he still tweeted this after the game:
It’s very characteristic of Millsap to be positive after a win, no matter what. I think we can all agree the collision was a brutal one. What makes it even worse is that Winslow entered the NBA’s concussion protocol as a result of this play, and has so far missed two games because of it. For those who did not see the play that resulted in the injury, take a look below.
As far as Leonard’s role in the collision, he was assessed a flagrant foul by the refs, and many Nuggets fans took to social media after the game to call him out for what they deemed a dirty play. Leonard, to his credit, responded by taking responsibility for his mistake on Twitter.
Regardless of how you feel about this play or about Leonard as a player, we all have to acknowledge that it takes character to be so willing to admit your mistakes on social media. Leonard undoubtedly made a bad decision in that moment, but admitting his role in the ordeal certainly scores him some points in my book.
And as far as Millsap is concerned, as his post indicates, nothing can stop him from smiling.
