Alarm bells are rolling through the rank and file of American basketball league club, Indiana Pacers, over the injury copped by their Nigerian protege, Victor Oladipo, who went for surgery on Monday.
Sports247.ng gathered that National Basketball Association (NBA) followers have also been taken up by information reeling round Oladipo, with the latest revealing that he is heading for surgery.
It was learnt further that the All-Star guard will require season-ending surgery after suffering a non-contact right knee injury.
Oladipo was carried out on a stretcher after injuring the knee on an awkward fall against Toronto Raptors.
The Pacers immediately feared a season-ending injury and news spread that Oladipo had ruptured the quad tendon in his right knee.
The fall came when Oladipo tried to disrupt an outlet pass to Pascal Siakam in transition during the second quarter.
When Oladipo couldn’t get up, his Pacers teammates immediately called for an athletic trainer, who covered the star’s leg with a towel.
Eventually, Oladipo exited on a stretcher while acknowledging a roar of ovation from the Indiana crowd.
However, The Pacers said Oladipo had suffered a “serious injury” to his knee and would undergo an MRI for a full diagnosis, which did not return encouraging results.
It is a big blow for the franchise, as Oladipo entered leading the Pacers in scoring with 19.2 points per game, while also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
Pacers, who currently hold third-best record in the Eastern Conference, managed a 110-106 win over The Raptors, thanks to Thaddeus Young’s 23-point, 15-rebound night and five others in double digits.
