Erik Spoelstra had emotional response to Victor Oladipo's knee injury
On Saturday, the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 121-99, to take a 2-1 series advantage over the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. However, they may have lost a vital member of the team in the process.
Late in the fourth quarter, Victor Oladipo, who has a history of catastrophic injuries, went down with an apparent left knee injury, sparking an emotional response from players on both sides, along with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
After the game, Spoelstra commented on Oladipo's injury, telling reporters he felt like "throwing up."
"It was a great win," Spoelstra said via Bally Sports. "But when you see a player go down like that, particularly a player like Vic who's gone through so much in the last three years — I don't know what it is right now, so I don't want to jump the gun on anything — but, that's definitely not a good feeling to see Vic down on the floor like that."
Oladipo sustained the injury while driving to the basket for a layup. As Oladipo jumped in the air, his left leg appeared to give out as he fell to the floor. He immediately grabbed his left knee before being helped off the court by his teammates.
After suiting up for only 39 games the previous five seasons, the 30-year-old played 42 games for the Heat during the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
Oladipo saw action in two postseason games, averaging 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and an assist, playing 22.5 minutes.
While there's no official word yet on Oladipo's status, injuries have hampered him throughout his career, so it's hard not to expect the worst.
Oladipo may not be the most critical piece to the Heat's success, but losing him could be a massive hit to the team's psyche as they look to upset the Bucks, who are without star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the foreseeable future.
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