The Phoenix Suns jumped out to a 1-0 series lead against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals on Tuesday with a 118-105 win. However, the win was dampened a bit with an injury to big man Dario Saric in the first quarter of action when the big man hobbled off to the locker room.
There was no update on his condition after the game, but the Suns announced Wednesday afternoon that Saric has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and he will be out indefinitely.
Saric’s injury came in the first quarter when he drove toward the basket against Bucks big man Brook Lopez. When he gathered his dribble to go up for his shot, he landed awkwardly and began hobbling around the court following the possession. He immediately came out of the game and was helped to the locker room while he was limping considerably.
Saric didn’t return to the game following the injury, and after Wednesday’s announcement of his ACL tear he’ll be out for the remainder of the NBA Finals. It’s an unfortunate blow for Saric as well as the Suns at such a crucial point in the postseason. While Saric was only getting 10.5 minutes per game in the postseason, having his size would have been handy against a Milwaukee team that boasts a lot of length in the frontcourt.
Phoenix doesn’t have a ton of size as it is to contend with Milwaukee, and without Saric it could become a weakness as the series goes on. In Saric’s absence, the Suns went with reserve big man Frank Kaminsky who saw action for the first time since the conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. Kaminsky played just under four minutes and didn’t record a single stat, but having him out there to contend against the likes of Lopez, Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo when he drives to the basket is better than nothing.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
