Game 3 of their playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks was nearly perfect for the Miami Heat. The Heat dominated the game from the outset and took a 2-1 series lead against the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
But in the final minutes of the game, disaster struck Miami.
Victor Oladipo drove to the hoop when something went wrong. Oladipo planted awkwardly, then fell out of control to the floor. He immediately grabbed his left knee.
He was eventually aided off of the floor, putting little weight on the knee.
There is never a good time for an injury. That said, the final minutes of a blowout playoff game is the worst time imaginable for a player to get hurt.
Basketball fans sent their best wishes toward Oladipo, hoping for a speedy recovery.
Prayers out for Victor Oladipo
Never gets a break from this type of stuff
— Aidan Doc
(@AidanDoc_) April 23, 2023
Unfortunately, at first glance at least, the injury looked significant.
Oladipo has had abysmal injury luck over the last several seasons. Early on in his career, he largely avoided the injury bug. In each of his first five NBA seasons, Oladipo played in 67 or more games. But since playing 75 games during the 2017-18 season, it’s been a much different story.
Oladipo suited 42 times for the Heat during the 2022-23 season. And while that represents just over half of the games, it was his highest total since that 2017-18 season.
About Michael Dixon
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