Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Vanderbilt suffered a serious finger injury during Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The brutal injury occurred while Vanderbilt was trying to block a dunk by Chet Holmgren. Suddenly his hand hit the corner of the backboard, causing an accident.
According to ESPN reports, the injury was not trivial. Complete right pinky dislocation persisted during the second trimester.
Witnesses and photographs showed that the bone was reportedly exposed through the skin and Vanderbilt was heard “apparently screaming” in pain.
Due to the severity of the injury and pain, Lakers assistant athletic trainer Octavio Márquez Montoya and coach JJ Redick took the lead.
Redick said after the game, “I had to check him out because he looked so bad. I mean, he was yelling loudly and you knew he did something. So, we’re obviously disappointed that it happened. It’s just a weird injury.”
Immediately following the unfortunate incident, Vanderbilt was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game, which the Lakers ultimately lost 108–90. However, it is not clear for how long he may be out of the series.
Even LeBron James spoke about Vanderbilt’s toughness, saying, “If Vanderbilt was in pain, something really happened. So, it sucks.”
Vanderbilt played only six minutes, finishing with two points and one rebound. The Lakers now trail 0-1 in the series.
