The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a growing injury crisis at the worst possible time. After dropping Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-90, the team now has to worry about the status of key reserve Jarred Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt suffered a gruesome finger injury during the second quarter while attempting to block a dunk by Isaiah Hartenstein. The forward immediately exited the game and did not return. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Vanderbilt has sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger.

This is a significant blow for a Lakers bench that was already struggling with depth. Vanderbilt has been an important energy player and defensive spark plug off the bench, and his absence would leave a noticeable gap in the second unit.

The Lakers are already playing without Luka Dončić, who remains sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. There is still no firm timetable for his return, and with each passing game, it looks more likely that he may miss the remainder of the postseason.

If Vanderbilt is unable to play in Game 2, head coach JJ Redick may be forced to dig deep into his rotation. Options include little-used big man Maxi Kleber, who averaged just 10.7 minutes per game during the regular season and played a total of seven minutes in the first round against the Houston Rockets. Rookie Adou Thiero could also see spot duty, though he has mostly played only in garbage time this season.

For a team that already had an anemic bench when fully healthy, this is a tough break at the worst possible moment. The Lakers will need someone to step up if they hope to even the series before heading back to Los Angeles.