The Indiana Pacers are still unsure of the extent of Victor Oladipo's injury, scheduled to receive an MRI on Thursday morning to determine damages. Team co-captain Thaddeus Young acknowledged he is worried about his teammate, but the rest of the team will be forced to play even harder if they hope to keep the third seed in the East.
“As of right now, we’re worried about the injury, but we have to continue to play because nobody’s going to feel sorry for us,” Young said, according to Scott Agness of The Athletic. “Even though Victor is out, everybody’s going to try to beat the snot out of us.”
Oladipo missed 12 games last season, but the Pacers surprisingly managed to stay composed and go 8-4 during that stretch, allowing them to garner the fifth seed in the East and nearly knock out the Cleveland Cavaliers upon his return.
This time around, it looks like the injury will put him out for much longer, as the medical staff put a towel over his injured leg to keep the spectators from seeing the gruesome nature of it.
“I saw his kneecap was just pushed up and I knew something wasn’t right then,” teammate Tyreke Evans recalled. “I didn’t talk to him. I know he’s going through a lot right now.”
Let's really, really, really, really hope that Vic is alright. Oladipo goes down with an apparent knee injury and it didn't look good. #Pacers pic.twitter.com/CA6LacMo87
— Bally Sports Indiana (@BallySportsIN) January 24, 2019
The Pacers have been one of the most resilient teams under coach Nate McMillan, but taking care of the next 35 games should prove a test of their mettle if Oladipo is out for the remainder of the season, likely forced to make the most of what they have at hand or surrender a spot in the postseason.
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