Lakers player suffers gruesome pinkie injury in Game 1 loss to Thunder

Los Angeles Lakers guardant Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a gruesome digit wounded during the team’s Game 1 nonaccomplishment to the Oklahoma City Thunder connected Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt went up to artifact Thunder prima Chet Holmgren’s dunk, but missed. Instead, his pinkie got caught connected the backboard arsenic helium came down. Vanderbilt was successful a ton of pain, and adjacent the Thunder seat winced astatine Vanderbilt’s hand.

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Los Angeles Lakers guardant Jarred Vanderbilt walks disconnected the tribunal successful symptom during the archetypal fractional of crippled 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City connected May 5, 2026, successful the 2nd circular of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)

"I mean, it conscionable — it looked beauteous gruesome successful my opinion," Thunder defender Jared McCain said aft Oklahoma City finished disconnected the 108-90 victory. "I don’t adjacent know, to beryllium honest, what I was looking at. It looked beauteous bad, though. So prayers for him. Sending him love."

Vanderbilt, who averaged 4.4 points per crippled during the regular season, lone played six minutes successful Game 1. He had 2 points and a rebound.

Lakers manager JJ Redick spoke astir Vanderbilt’s mishap aft the game, calling it a "freak injury."

Los Angeles Lakers guardant Jarred Vanderbilt runs down the tribunal during the archetypal fractional against the Oklahoma City Thunder successful crippled 1 of the 2nd circular of the 2026 NBA Playoffs astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Okla., connected May 5, 2026. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)

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"I went to spell cheque connected him due to the fact that it conscionable looked bad," Redick said. "He was audibly screaming. Knew helium had done something. We’re evidently disappointed. But, that happened, and it’s conscionable a freak injury."

Los Angeles has been deed with the wounded bug implicit the past month. The squad mislaid Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic for the past fewer games of the regular season. Reaves returned to the level for Game 5 against the Houston Rockets.

Against the Thunder, helium lone scored 8 points successful 36 minutes.

Doncic is inactive nursing a hamstring injury, which outgo him the last 5 regular-season games and present Game 1 against Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles Lakers guardant Jarred Vanderbilt shoots arsenic Oklahoma City Thunder's Jared McCain and Alex Caruso support during the archetypal fractional of Game 1 successful the second-round NBA playoffs successful Oklahoma City connected May 5, 2026. (Kyle Phillips/AP)

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Game 2 is acceptable for Thursday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.