‘No immediate concerns’ for Victor Oladipo after eye poke, early exit in Game 1 loss to Heat
Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo left their 113-101 loss to the Miami Heat early after being poked in the eye on Tuesday, and had to visit the on-campus clinic for further evaluation.
Initial tests, however, showed “no immediate concerns” and he is now listed as day-to-day, a good sign for the Pacers.
“He wasn't saying much,” said Malcolm Brogdon, who put up 22 points and 10 assists in the loss, via ESPN. “He was just saying he got hit in the eye, and we just got to wait to see if he'll be back next game.
“I just want him to be healthy, honestly. Forget about basketball. I just want him to be able to have vision out of that eye and be OK.”
Oladipo poked early
Oladipo was poked in the eye accidentally by Miami forward Jae Crowder while fighting for a rebound. He picked up a foul in the process and stayed in the game to make two free throws before leaving the court.
.@JJFSINDIANA has an injury update on Oladipo and says he is questionable to return. #Pacers
TV: FSI
Stream: FSGO pic.twitter.com/eRquCXOa1A— FOX Sports Indiana (@FSIndiana) August 18, 2020
He did not return, and finished the game with four points in eight minutes. Pacers coach Nate McMillan said after the game that he never considered trying to put Oladipo back in, either.
“His vision was really blurry,” McMillan said, via Fox Sports Indiana. “He really couldn’t see out of his eye. I spoke to him at halftime, and he was going to get that checked out.”
Tuesday’s game marked just the 19th for Oladipo this season. He almost didn’t play in the season restart in Florida over concerns related to the lingering quad injury that sidelined him for a year. He was averaging 16 points per game in the bubble before Game 1.
Game 2 will take place on Thursday afternoon, though it’s unclear if Oladipo will be ready to go when they attempt to even the series after the 12-point loss.
“When Vic went down, it was tough to see. Got to check on him and see if he's all right,” said T.J. Warren, who dropped 22 points while shooting 9-of-18 from the field on Tuesday, via ESPN. “But guys have been in and out of the lineup all year, so just the 'next man up' mentality for us.
“And guys are used to it, so we just got to be able to be ready to step up if Vic is not able to go, but hopefully he is.”
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