Hawks Player Injured Breaking Up Fight

Jock Landale suffered a nasty scratch while intervening in an on-court altercation.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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During a recent game between the Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves, Hawks player Jock Landale was injured while attempting to break up a fight that had broken out on the court. Landale was seen on video getting a large scratch on his neck as he tried to separate the players involved in the scuffle.

Why it matters

Player safety and sportsmanship are major concerns in the NBA, and incidents like this highlight the risks players take when they try to de-escalate on-court conflicts. The Hawks will likely be monitoring Landale's injury and may need to address the broader issue of how to prevent and respond to in-game altercations.

The details

Footage from the game shows Landale rushing in to break up a fight that had erupted between players from both teams. As he tried to pull the players apart, Landale sustained a significant scratch on his neck, likely from one of the player's fingernails or another object. The severity of Landale's injury is unclear, but the incident demonstrates the dangers players face when intervening in physical confrontations during games.

  • The incident occurred during the Hawks vs. Timberwolves game on February 9, 2026.

The players

Jock Landale

A player for the Atlanta Hawks.

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The takeaway

This incident serves as a reminder of the risks players take when trying to break up on-court fights, and it may prompt the NBA to re-evaluate its policies and procedures for addressing in-game altercations in order to better protect player safety.