Tuesday was not a good day for the Indiana Pacers. Not only did they lose Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series with the Miami Heat, 113-101, but their star guard Victor Oladipo was injured in the process.
Late in the first quarter, Oladipo was fighting for a loose ball with Jae Crowder, when the Heat forward inadvertently poked him in the eye. Though he initially stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, making both, Oladipo then exited the game and did not return. Thankfully, he didn't suffer a serious injury, the team announced later on Tuesday night.
"Initial evaluation showed no immediate concerns and Oladipo will be monitored over the next few days," the Pacers said in a statement. "His status is day-to-day."
That's great news for Oladipo and the Pacers, especially after the initial reports from head coach Nate McMillan, who said, "His vision was really blurry. Really couldn't see out of his eye when we spoke to him at halftime, and he was going to get that checked out."
It's still not clear if Oladipo will miss any games, though the fact that the schedule is condensed inside the bubble certainly doesn't help in that regard. Already down 1-0 in the series, the Pacers would be in real trouble if Oladipo is unable to return soon, especially with Domantas Sabonis already sidelined due to plantar fasciitis.
The Heat were one of the best offensive teams in the league this season, boasting the seventh-best offensive rating (111.9), and the second-best 3-point percentage (37.9). While the Pacers are a resilient bunch, and have plenty of experience playing without Oladipo this season, it's hard to see how they can keep up without those two stars.
Game 1 was a perfect example of why it will be so difficult for them. They got 22 points each from TJ Warren and Malcolm Brogdon, scored 23 points off turnovers and got 35 points off the bench. That's about as much as you can ask from those various departments, and they still lost by double digits.
Hopefully, Oladipo doesn't have to miss too much time, otherwise what was expected to be one of the most competitive first-round series could be over rather quickly.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Pacers' Victor Oladipo day-to-day after leaving Game 1 vs. Heat with eye injury - CBS Sports"
Post a Comment