England star Wayne Rooney used a three-day break granted by Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson for a New York visit and nearly got injured at a basketball game.
Rooney and fiancee Coleen McLoughlin had courtside seats for Monday's New York Knicks game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.
Early in the game, the Celtics' 6-foot-8 Paul Pierce lunged for a loose ball and banged into Rooney's right foot — the one Rooney injured and barely rehabilitated in time for last summer's World Cup.
''It was scary,'' said Rooney, who was unhurt. ''He rolled right over my foot.''