CoreComm Internet

Features

Make this your home page

Lakers forward Vanderbilt suffers gruesome injury to right pinkie while trying to block shot

By CLIFF BRUNT  -  AP

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.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

...

----------
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CoreComm is not responsible for content on external sites. Please review the privacy and security policies of each vendor before making online purchases or providing personal information. Forecast Information Provided by AccuWeather.