The forward of the Phoenix Suns, Dario Saric, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the team announced Wednesday.
The team said he is out indefinitely.
“It’s one of those situations that literally breaks your heart,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Dario is a guy that I’ve worked with twice. I coached him in Philadelphia, and to get a chance to be with him here, he’s what Suns basketball is all about. Hardworking, amazing guy and I was really looking forward to it. play in these Finals.
“And playing for a few minutes and having that kind of injury, it was kind of hard to hear this morning.”
Saric drove on the center of the Milwaukee Bucks, Brook lopez, late in the first quarter Tuesday night and his right knee appeared to buckle when he planted his feet in the paint.
He left the game with 1:43 left in the quarter and had to be helped off the court to the Suns locker room, finishing with a rebound and a missed shot in two minutes of play.
The five-year veteran reached the Finals averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per game during the Suns’ postseason.
The team has a relatively shallow depth up front and resorted to Torrey craig Y Frank Kaminsky to fill the majority of Saric’s minutes in the 118-105 victory in Game 1.
Craig has been a regular part of the game rotation, but Kaminsky hasn’t had much time in the postseason.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.