A promising season for the Indiana Pacers instantly changed when Victor Oladipo’s leg buckled and he fell to the floor in pain. It was a non-contact leg injury.
The injury happened during the second quarter of the Pacers 110-106 victory over the Raptors. Oladipo was carried off the court on a stretcher. He is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday, but the preliminary exam left the team with the fear that he suffered a season-ending injury which will require surgery.
“It is a serious injury and we’ll know more after the MRI,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We’re not going to speculate. It’s a tough situation. That kid has a beautiful spirit about him. He has always been one to try and to lift us up. We’ve got to lift him now.”
Oladipo’s right leg appeared to give out on him as he scrambled to defend an outlet pass to Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and crumpled to the floor awkwardly. He stayed down for several minutes before being taken off on a stretcher. He acknowledged the crowd as he left.
Losing Oladipo would be an enormous blow to the Pacers’ playoff hopes. He leads Indiana in scoring at 19.2 points per game and has emerged as a leader.
