The Heat’s 121-99 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks ended on a somber note as Miami guard Victor Oladipo appeared to suffer a serious knee injury late in the game.
Oladipo’s left knee appeared to go out on him as he drove toward the basket and drew a foul with 3:56 to go. He immediately clutched at the knee, drawing immediate concern from his Heat teammates and the ESPN announcers. A stretcher was brought onto the court for him, but he walked to the locker room with assistance as fans in Miami chanted “di-po.”
The second overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Oladipo blossomed into an All-Star for the Indiana Pacers in 2017-18. But the 30-year-old’s career has largely been sidetracked by injuries since, which added another layer of heartbreak to Saturday’s scene.
The Heat did not release any preliminary diagnosis, and planned further examination for Sunday.
“Once the stretcher was out there, he was like, ‘I’m not getting on that thing,’” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So, we’ll just have to see. I feel like throwing up right now, but I don’t know what the prognosis is. I’m going to stay positive and we’ll just see what happens after we scan him tomorrow.”
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A ruptured quad tendon ended Oladipo’s 2018-19 season, and he was out over a year until he returned in January 2020. He was traded to the Heat in January 2021, but played in just four games for the team that season and appeared in just eight games last season, though he did play all but three playoff games as the Heat reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. This year Oladipo appeared in 42 regular-season games. He had logged eight points in 19 minutes when he exited injured.
“It hurts to see somebody that you care about go through something like that,” Heat guard Duncan Robinson said. “Obviously, we don’t know what it is at this point, but we’re all hoping for the best.”
Though the health of Oladipo overshadowed things, Saturday’s victory was big for the Heat. The No. 8 seed largely cruised past the Bucks, who were once again missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now lead the series 2-1.
Contributing: Associated Press