Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a serious finger injury during Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The brutal injury occurred when Vanderbilt tried to block a Chet Holmgren dunk. Suddenly his hand hit the corner of the board, causing the accident.
As reported by ESPN, the injury wasn’t easy. A complete dislocation of the right little finger resolved during the second quarter.
Witnesses and photographs suggested that bone was reportedly visible through the skin and that Vanderbilt was “audibly screaming” in pain.
Lakers assistant athletic trainer Octavio Marquez Montoya and coach JJ Redick attended to the Lakers forward due to the severity of the injury and pain.
“I had to go to him because it just looked bad. I mean, he was screaming audibly and you knew he did something. So obviously we’re disappointed that it happened. It’s just a freak injury,” Redick said after the game.
Shortly after 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 how long he will be out of the series.
Even LeBron James talked about Vanderbilt’s toughness, saying, “If Vando was hurt, then something really happened. So it sucks.”
Vanderbilt played just six minutes, with two points and one rebound. The Lakers are now down 0-1 in the series.
