The Los Angeles Lakers announced on May 5 that forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been ruled out of Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a right finger injury.
Vanderbilt sustained the injury during a block attempt on Chet Holmgren’s dunk in the second quarter, when he missed and hit his hand on the backboard. He immediately went down in pain and did not return to play. Before his exit, Vanderbilt had played six minutes, scoring two points and collecting one rebound.
Although Vanderbilt had not been a major part of the Lakers’ rotation recently, he was expected to have an increased role in this series to help contain Oklahoma City’s perimeter offense. With his absence, head coach JJ Redick may shorten his rotation or consider giving bench minutes to Bronny James or Adou Thiero. The team faces challenges with introducing less experienced players into high-pressure playoff situations.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at Paycom Center, and Vanderbilt’s availability remains uncertain as the team monitors his recovery.
LeBron James addressed how the Lakers are approaching their underdog status against the defending-champion Thunder. “It’s the same approach as last series. I mean, we’re undermanned and we’re the underdog and we understand that,” James said on a recent episode of “Mind the Game” podcast. “So to heighten that even more, by like five, because of their ability, what they bring to the table. They’re one of the most historic basketball teams offensively and defensively that our league has seen. And they got one of the most efficient players in our league history. And he’s probably gonna be the MVP again. So, we cannot shortcut the details.
“In order for us to give ourselves a chance to win games, we cannot shortcut the details in the game plan. We know we can’t stop everything. It’s impossible, they’re that great… We can give ourselves a chance, and that’s all you can ask for in postseason is a chance to compete to win games.”