All Heat eyes now on Victor Oladipo’s right knee, after guard limps off in win over Lakers
The Miami Heat’s approach in acquiring Victor Oladipo at the March 25 NBA trading deadline, in light of his injury history, was to get a test drive the balance of the season with the impending free agent.
Now the question is how long the process could wind up being stuck in neutral.
Oladipo limped to the Heat locker room with 5:35 left in Thursday night’s 110-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at AmericanAirlines Arena, after an awkward landing following a dunk with 5:51 to play.
X-rays on Oladipo’s right knee came back negative Thursday night, with an MRI scheduled for Friday.
The injury occurred during Oladipo’s most impressive performance in his four outings with the Heat, finishing with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2 of 3 on 3-pointers, with four rebounds, two assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 25:24. The Heat are 3-1 in Oladipo’s four games in uniform.
Teammate Bam Adebayo said Oladipo was in good spirits when he greeted teammates after the win, but there is an underlying concern that had the entire franchise on edge.
Oladipo, who turns 29 on May 4, ruptured the quadriceps tendon in his right knee on Jan. 23, 2019 and was lost for the balance of 2018-19, undergoing surgery, nonetheless an All-Star selection amid that breakout season. He then did not make his debut last season until Jan. 29, 2020, missing additional time due to the quadriceps and knee.
Because of those ailments, he had been kept out of back-to-back games this season while playing for the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, before his acquisition two weeks ago by the Heat.
The injury comes with the Heat to depart Saturday for a four-game western swing that opens Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers and continues against the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, before a return home for a nationally televised April 18 game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said that Thursday night offered a taste of his team’s possibilities with Oladipo close to the top of his game.
“Well,” Spoelstra said, “he gives us another element of attacking off the dribble, cutting, and he’s able to put so much pressure in the paint. And then he was in a good flow from the 3-point line, as well.”
Aware of Butler’s injury past, teammate Jimmy Butler said it was heartening to see what Oladipo accomplished before limping off.
“He was out there hoopin’. I’m happy for him,” Butler said. “Hopefully, he’s more and more in a rhythm and he’s OK. We definitely need that guy. We want him back.
“Playing the way he played [Thursday], making shots, getting to the cup, getting to the line, getting everybody else involved, and, of course, playing defense, we’d always want that guy to be OK, all of our guys. But just to be here and have to leave the game, hopefully we hear good news.”
Adebayo, optimistic by nature, said he was heartened by what he saw postgame.
“You never want to see one of your brothers go down, so I’m glad he’s OK, at the end of the day,” Adebayo said. “He came in, we walked in, he was congratulating us on the win I feel like he’s OK. He just had a little scare.”
