The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the Western Conference semifinals with a decisive 108-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Paycom Center, setting the tone early in Game 1. The defending champions extended their unbeaten playoff run to 5-0 behind a balanced offensive and defensive performance.
The game shifted dramatically in the first half when Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a severe right-hand injury. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Vanderbilt sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger, with the bone breaking through the skin and requiring stitches after the game.
The incident occurred during a second-quarter lob play when Chet Holmgren finished a two-handed alley-oop off an Isaiah Hartenstein pass. Vanderbilt left the floor immediately and did not return, as medical staff attended to the injury.
Before his exit, Los Angeles had already been under pressure without Luka Doncic, who remains sidelined with a left hamstring injury. LeBron James carried the offense with 27 points, while Austin Reaves struggled heavily, finishing with eight points on 3-for-16 shooting.
Oklahoma City controlled the tempo behind Chet Holmgren’s 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points each. The Thunder shot 49.4% from the field and hit 13 of 30 from three-point range, while forcing 17 turnovers from Los Angeles.
From a medical standpoint, full finger dislocations with open wounds typically require immediate reduction, splinting, and soft tissue repair. In professional basketball cases, recovery timelines often range from three to six weeks, though complications involving fractures or ligament damage can extend recovery to six to eight weeks.
For the Lakers, the timing adds another layer of difficulty as they trail 1-0 in the series and prepare for Game 2 on Thursday in Oklahoma City. Depth on the wing becomes a concern if Vanderbilt is forced into an extended absence.
Oklahoma City’s regular-season dominance over Los Angeles continued, with the Thunder winning all four meetings by a wide margin. Game 1 followed a similar pattern, leaving the Lakers searching for answers before the series shifts deeper into its physical phase.
