05/06/26 08:43:00
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05/05 23:06 CDT Lakers forward Vanderbilt suffers 'gruesome' injury to right
pinkie while trying to block shot
Lakers forward Vanderbilt suffers 'gruesome' injury to right pinkie while
trying to block shot
By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) --- Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt injured his
right pinkie when he attempted to block a dunk by Oklahoma City Thunder center
Chet Holmgren during Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup on
Tuesday night.
Several players on the Thunder bench immediately looked away at the sight of
the finger.
"I mean, it just --- it looked pretty gruesome in my opinion," Thunder guard
Jared McCain said. "I don't even know, to be honest, what I was looking at. It
looked pretty bad, though. So prayers for him. Sending him love."
Vanderbilt had swiped at Holmgren's dunk attempt from behind and hit his finger
on the backboard. Holmgren made the dunk to put the Thunder up 48-39 with 5:57
left in the second quarter.
Vanderbilt bent over while holding his hand, then left the game.
"I went to go check on him because it just looked bad," Lakers coach JJ Redick
said. "He was audibly screaming. Knew he had done something. We're obviously
disappointed. But, that happened, and it's just a freak injury."
Vanderbilt's absence trimmed the Lakers' nine-man rotation to eight. The
reserve only played six minutes and finished with two points.
The Thunder led 61-53 at halftime and eventually won 108-90.
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