The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a crushing 108-90 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night.
With Luka Doncic continuing to miss time due to a left hamstring injury, the Lakers were dealt another blow when Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a gruesome finger injury during the contest.
As Vanderbilt walked off the floor in visible pain, even members of the Thunder bench appeared shocked by the severity of the injury.
Lakers Hit by Gruesome Jarred Vanderbilt Injury in Game 1 Loss
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Vanderbilt sustained “a full dislocation of his right pinky finger” in what he described as a “gruesome injury.”
Charania later reported that Vanderbilt required stitches after the game because the bone from the dislocated finger broke through the skin.
How long the Lakers forward could be sidelined remains unclear, but head coach JJ Redick addressed the injury following the loss.
“I just talked to him. He’s in as good a spirits as you can be in this situation,” Redick told reporters. “Obviously frustrated with what happened.”
“I went to check on him because it just looked bad. He was audibly screaming, and we knew he had done something. We’re obviously disappointed that it happened, and it’s just a freak injury.”
Vanderbilt injured the finger with 5:51 remaining in the second quarter while attempting to block a dunk from Chet Holmgren, jamming his hand against the backboard in the process.
He did not return to the game.
The Lakers once again struggled against Oklahoma City, shooting just 41.7 percent from the field while committing 17 turnovers.
According to the NBA, the Thunder won all four regular-season matchups against Los Angeles by an average margin of 29.3 points.
Tuesday’s result only reinforced the difficult challenge facing the Lakers against the defending champions.
Austin Reaves Struggles as LA Searches for Answers
With Vanderbilt sidelined, LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting, knocking down three three-pointers along the way.
He also added four rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
Rui Hachimura contributed 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, although he finished as a minus-21 on the night.
Elsewhere, several Lakers struggled offensively.
Marcus Smart shot just 4-of-15 from the field for 12 points, while Austin Reaves endured another difficult outing, finishing with eight points on 3-of-16 shooting and failing to make a three-pointer.
It was only the third game back for Reaves after missing a month with a Grade 2 left oblique strain.
“I mean, nobody cares about that,” Reaves said postgame, referring to his recent absence. “I got to go out there and play better.”
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Reaves has shot just 14-of-46 from the field and 2-of-17 from three-point range since returning in Game 5 of the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
James defended his teammate after the game, suggesting those struggles are understandable after such a lengthy absence.
The 41-year-old added that, “His presence alone helps us no matter what.”
The Lakers will now look to regroup ahead of Game 2, which is scheduled for Thursday.
Lakers’ JJ Redick Reacts to Gruesome, ‘Freak’ Jarred Vanderbilt Injury