Trying to block an Al Jefferson dunk with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the game, Raptors rookie Jorge Garbajosa landed awkwardly on his left leg and it snapped.

He remained prone on the court with his foot twisted out at a right angle to his leg, one of the ugliest injuries a Raptor has ever suffered, as his teammates and the Celtics recoiled in horror. Jefferson put up his hands and couldn't bear to look.

Garbajosa was in obvious agony when he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher.

"I really thought he broke his leg," said Jefferson, who landed on Garbajosa as he completed the contested dunk. "When that happened, the first thing that came into my head was, `Why did he jump? Just let me go.'

"They need him for the playoffs, but he's a hard-working player and he's going to try and challenge every shot. I respect him for that. I know we bumped, my leg hit his leg and I looked down and he was just twisted up. He was screaming and I could feel his pain."

All team officials could say late last night was that Garbajosa, the 29-year-old Spanish rookie who has been such an integral part of Toronto's success this season, was at New England Baptist Hospital being examined by one of the Celtics' team physicians.

But there is no doubt the injury is a bad one, a season-ending one.

"My prayers are with him," Chris Bosh said of Garbajosa. "I hope he's okay."