Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee will be out for the season, the team announced Thursday.
An MRI taken Thursday revealed the injury, and Oladipo will undergo surgery at a date to be determined.
Pacers officials had been preparing for the worst: the loss of the franchise’s most important player as the team competes with the elite of the Eastern Conference.
Oladipo crumpled to the floor during Wednesday night’s home game against the Raptors after falling in an attempt to disrupt a pass to Toronto’s Pascal Siakam. Oladipo’s leg bent awkwardly on his way to the court.
“I didn’t see what happened,” Siakam said after the game. “Watching the replay, he stuck his leg while he was falling. That’s when he hit me. It’s just an unfortunate situation. It’s really scary. It’s tough.”
The severity was evident almost immediately as trainers draped a towel over Oladipo’s leg and players from both teams surrounded him while he was down. He received a standing ovation from fans as he was carted off the floor on a stretcher and responded by waving to the crowd.
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Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner and Darren Collison explain how Victor Oladipo’s attitude will help the Pacers as he recovers from a leg injury.
Oladipo has transformed the Pacers since his arrival in 2017 from the Oklahoma City Thunder, developing into an All-Star for the first time in the 2017-18 season. He is the Pacers’ leading scorer this season, with 18.8 points per game.
Despite losing Oladipo in the second quarter, the Pacers defeated the Raptors 110-106 to move to 32-15 on the season. They are third in the Eastern Conference.
“We’ve got to come together and play inspired basketball,” Myles Turner said. “We can’t let this get us stuck in the mud. It’s emotional, but we have to overcome it and play.”
Information from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Associated Press was used in this report.