http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-magic2305nov23,0,7857721.story The Magic guard says he was in a car accident after Saturday's loss to the Hornets. Orlando Magic leading scorer Steve Francis hopes to play tonight against the Washington Wizards after missing practice the past two days with a bruised chest and shoulder, an injury sustained in a single-car crash Saturday night. As if the Magic (3-6) don't have enough problems with a slow start, Francis said his accident occurred five minutes after he left TD Waterhouse Centre on an I-4 entrance ramp following their loss to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. His fiancee, who was following him in a second car, drove them both home, he said. Orlando police said they had no report on the accident. "The airbags never came out. It was kind of a fluke,'' Francis said Tuesday evening. "The car will be back on the road next week. It was only scratched up. "I'm pretty sore right now, though, banged up, but I'm still looking to play [today].'' Francis, who originally said he bruised his chest during the game, had a precautionary magnetic resonance imaging test Tuesday that came back negative. The MRI caused him to arrive 30 minutes late for his Thanksgiving meal delivery at the Reeves Terrace Housing Authority, where he signed autographs and gave away turkeys for an hour. "That made me feel better, all those people smiling,'' Francis said. "You don't hurt as much when you're helping people.'' Francis was the second Magic player to miss practice time this fall because of a car accident following a game. Before the start of the regular season, center Tony Battie also had a single-car crash near his home in late October on his way home from an exhibition game. He sustained a cut hand, but he didn't miss any games, either. Francis' injury is just one more problem the Magic already have faced in the first month of the season. Starting guard DeShawn Stevenson sprained his right knee in practice Monday. He also has some loose cartilage in the knee and is doubtful for tonight. The Magic still are without all-star Grant Hill, who had hernia surgery Oct. 31 and isn't expected back for another couple of weeks. Veteran swingman Stacey Augmon could be activated by the end of the week. Center Kelvin Cato has been slow rounding into shape after his offseason surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and a mild dislocation to his left shoulder. And center Mario Kasun also has been slowed by tendinitis in his right ankle. "I may give it a try Wednesday, but I don't know right now,'' said Stevenson as he limped out of the RDV Sportsplex on Tuesday. "It might be the end of the week.'' Behind Francis and Stevenson are backups Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling. Regardless of who plays tonight, the Magic will be facing Gilbert Arenas, one of the best guards in the NBA. Arenas scored 30 points in an 87-79 victory earlier this season against the Magic in Washington and is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.6 points per game and 46.6 percent shooting. He had 36 points and 10 assists on Tuesday night in the Wizards' 108-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets at home. The Wizards (5-5) started the season by winning five of their first six, but their pace has slowed. Besides the loss to Denver on Tuesday, they have lost at Cleveland, Minnesota and New Jersey. Notes: Francis' holiday giveaway Tuesday was just the first of several that Magic players will be doing this week. Pat Garrity will be at the Coalition for the Homeless on Thanksgiving morning, serving breakfast. Coach Brian Hill will pay for 600 meals there later in the day. Bo Outlaw has teamed up with former Magic player Darrell Armstrong and his Foundation for Premature Babies, and he will be serving meals at the Callahan Neighborhood Center, Frontline Outreach Center and the Ivey Lane Neighborhood Center for Families.
A bruised chest and shoulder and the car only got "scratched up"?? Looks to me like he's been hitting the sauce like he was in Houston.
I wouldnt be suprised if seatbelts were the cause of his bruises. They knocked out the air of out me when I got in an accident. Though it is weird that the police dont have a report. Did they just say "forget it?" and drive off atfer the crash?
Lets bring back Steve to the rockets, trade sura,swift,head,mooch, and some draft picks. Think about it(SF3,T-Mac,Yao, we would be unstoppable). LOL Man im miss my boy Stevie. hope it wont affect him during the season.
Probably just settled without getting the police involved...whoever caused the accident may have agreed to pay for the damages so insurance wouldn't go up, or else it wasn't serious enough to get police involved.
Francis is having a good year so far. He's trusting his teamates more, and is not forcing his shots. Same with his teammate D Howard. He's going to lead the league in rebounds for a long time.
I think DoD has it right. If the airbags didn't deploy, then I doubt the impact (with whatever the hell it was) was that serious. He probably wasn't wearing them, which a lot of truly idiotic people do. "Accidents happen to other people!" Right. Glad Francis is OK.
