Lakers Clear Jarred Vanderbilt For Game 3 Against OKC After Dislocating Finger
Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is available to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Jarred Vanderbilt is available for Game 3 vs. the Thunder, JJ Redick announced.
Vanderbilt fully dislocated his right pinky in Game 1 on Tuesday. pic. twitter.
com/RDhWkxQhLm — ESPN (@espn) May 9, 2026 The Lakers initially listed Vanderbilt as “questionable” for Game 3 after he dislocated his right pinkie finger in Game 1 of the series against the Thunder. Vanderbilt suffered the injury when he hit his finger on the backboard while trying to block a dunk from Thunder center Chet Holmgren. Vanderbilt missed Game 2 with the injury but shortly before tip-off for Game 3, Los Angeles cleared Vanderbilt to play.
May 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) runs down the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images The Lakers are down 0-2 in the series but will be back in Crypto. com Arena for Game 3.
Winning Game 3 will be crucial for Los Angeles to keep their season alive. The return of Vanderbilt is a big boost for the Lakers’ defense. He has averaged 3.