FILE — Dario Saric #20 of the Phoenix Suns leaves the court during the first half in Game One of the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns Arena on July 06, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
The Phoenix Suns’ frontcourt depth suffered a blow as reserve forward Dario Saric tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the opening game of the NBA Finals and will be out indefinitely, the team said on Wednesday.
The Croatian big man suffered the injury in the first quarter of Tuesday’s NBA Finals opener, which Phoenix won 118-105 over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship.
Saric, who has been the Suns’ first big man off the bench for most of the season, exited the game with a notable limp following an awkward attempt to score inside on Brook Lopez during the closing minutes of the first quarter.
He was soon ruled out for the rest of the game.
The 27-year-old Saric has averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game during the 2021 postseason.
The NBA Finals resumes on Thursday in Phoenix.