It was an ugly scene at the Paycom Center on Tuesday as Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered an injury that may cost him the rest of the series.
In Game 1 against the Thunder, Vanderbilt (27) suffered a painful setback on the court after hitting his finger on the backboard on a failed block attempt. He was immediately escorted off the floor as he houled in pain, becoming the subject of concerned chatter online. Eventually, ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed the initial fears: a full dislocation of the right pinky.
An official timetable has yet to be revealed for Vanderbilt, but dislocated fingers can take anywhere from days to weeks to fully recover. While it’s not great news for the Lakers, it could have been much worse, as one doctor pointed out in the aftermath. At the very least, Vanderbilt remains in good spirits, as JJ Redick pointed out after the game. It could be a sign that things are looking up, despite how bad it initially looked.
“I just talked to him,” said Redick after the game. “He’s in as good spirits as spirits as you can be in this situation, just frustrated with what happened. I went to check on him because it looked bad, because he was audibly screaming. We’re obviously disappointed that happened, just a freak injury.”
Vanderbilt played just a little over six minutes in the loss, finishing with two points, one rebound, zero assists, and zero blocks on 50.0% shooting and 0-1 shooting from three. He was -4 off the bench, but the concern was more with his health. In fact, the way Vanderbilt reacted even caught the King off guard, and he expressed it after the game.
“He’s tough as nails,” James said. “If Vando is in pain, then something actually really happened.”
The real tell for how bad this injury was was just the shock on the Thunder players’ faces. They saw it live and could not even try to hide their horror and disgust, resulting in a viral scene that will be remembered long after the series ends.
Look at the Thunders reaction to Vando’s injury. pic.twitter.com/KknAV1Yg2e
— Showtime Luka (@showtimeluka) May 6, 2026
The Lakers are already without Luka Doncic, who continues to recover from a hamstring strain. He isn’t due back until late in the series, leaving Los Angeles without their leading scorer and offensive initiator. While Vanderbilt doesn’t play a massive role, he’s still a solid defensive force on the wing, averaging 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 47.1% shooting and 29.3% shooting from three. His absence makes the Lakers weaker in the frontcourt, especially off the bench, where the Thunder are famously stacked.
With Game 2 set for Thursday, it only leaves a one-day gap for Vando to rest, and it won’t be long before we find out his availability. Until then, Redick and the Lakers will plan for his absence as bench players like Bronny James and Nick Smith Jr. prepare to see more time on the floor. No matter how the Lakers adjust, however, it’s unlikely to make a difference. Tonight, with a resounding 108-90 win, the Thunder once again proved their superiority, setting the tone for the series. Now, the only hope for a comeback rests in Luka Doncic’s return, but it may not come quickly enough to save them from defeat.
