MILWAUKEE (AP) Milwaukee point guard T.J. Ford is expected to miss two to three weeks because of a bruised spinal cord.

Ford was carried off the court on a stretcher after falling hard during the fourth quarter Tuesday night against Minnesota.

The rookie spent the night at St. Luke's Medical Center. Further evaluation, including an MRI, found Ford sustained a mild bruise, the Bucks said Wednesday.

Ford is expected to make a full recovery. He was averaging 27 minutes and seven points per game.

Before Ford's freshman season at Texas began in the fall of 2001, he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the openings of the vertebra the spinal cord runs through.

After consulting with doctors, Ford decided against surgery to fix the problem, and tests later showed that the condition had improved.

Ford was the eighth pick in the draft last summer after leading Texas as a sophomore to its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four in 56 years.