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Pacers' Victor Oladipo Day-to-Day with Eye Injury Suffered vs. Heat
August 18, 2020
Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo was poked in the eye in the first half of Tuesday's 113-101 playoff loss to the Miami Heat and did not return.
ESPN's Eric Woodyard reported Oladipo would be day-to-day with "no immediate concerns" after visiting the NBA's on-site clinic for evaluation.
Any physical setback is sure to raise concerns when it comes to Oladipo given the ruptured quad he suffered on Jan. 23, 2019, against the Toronto Raptors. He didn't make his 2019-20 debut until a Jan. 29 victory over the Chicago Bulls, and he also missed time with knee and back injuries this season.
The ruptured quad was a devastating injury for the Pacers given the 28-year-old's status as the team's go-to offensive option and premier perimeter defender.
The two-time All-Star thrived in 2017-18 as the league's Most Improved Player and an All-NBA third-team and All-Defensive first-team selection who averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per night.
Oladipo has been unable to replicate that type of impact since, making another setback all the more worrisome as Indiana attempts to compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
He played just 13 games in 2019-20 before the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic and averaged 14.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game across the entire campaign.
While Aaron Holiday, Justin Holiday and Edmond Sumner will likely see more playing time with T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner leading the offense, Indiana's potential as a playoff threat is nowhere near the same without Oladipo on the floor.