Game 1 of the NBA Finals may have been a win for the Phoenix Suns over the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was a little bittersweet as injuries took their toll.
On Wednesday, the Suns announced that center Dario Saric torn his ACL in his right knee. As a result, he is out indefinitely.
ACL tears can take months to recover from. Saric’s run in the NBA Finals is officially over now.
Saric ends his playoff run averaging 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists while getting just over 10 minutes per game. He has made no starts but has appeared in 14 of their 17 playoff games.
Injury update:
Suns forward/center Dario Šarić has sustained a torn ACL in his right knee. He will be out indefinitely.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 7, 2021
In the regular season, Dario Saric started four of 50 games and averaged over 17 minutes per game. He finished the season with 8.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Needless to say, the Suns will feel Saric’s loss.
Starting center Deandre Ayton has been great this postseason, but even he needs a breather every now and then. With Saric out, the task of filling in for Ayton in spots will fall to Frank Kaminsky, a fan favorite.
Kaminsky has gotten less than 45 total minutes in the entirety of the playoffs. But fans believe it’s time for him to shine:
Kaminsky szn
— Goat Talk (@CadeC34) July 7, 2021
Again, losing Dario Saric is tough for the Suns. No way around that.
But in his lone game against the Bucks during the regular season, Frank Kaminsky put up 14 PTS, 8 REBs, and a career-high 8 ASTs. Next man up. #RallyTheValley
— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) July 7, 2021
Game 2 of the NBA Finals will take place on Wednesday and will air on ABC.
How will the Phoenix Suns respond on the court to losing Dario Saric?
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