The Boston Celtics’ newly acquired center, Nikola Vucevic, hit the locker room early and did not return after suffering an injury in Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Vucevic was ruled out with a right ring finger fracture, the team’s PR staff reported on social media.
He was injured at the 4:35 mark in the first quarter of the contest after receiving a low post entry pass from Payton Pritchard.
Vucevic was being guarded by Mavericks center Moussa Cisse when Mavs teammate Khris Middleton went to help and took a swipe at Boston’s big man, making contact with his hand. No foul was called.
Vucevic passed the ball back to Pritchard before fading to the corner. After Pritchard turned the ball over, Dallas went back and scored on the other end.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout at the 4:21 mark, and seemingly discussed the no-call with an official, as the Mavericks took a 13-12 lead.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Vucevic is expected to undergo a procedure on Saturday for his fractured ring finger and will miss approximately one month.
The Celtics went on to win the game, 120-100, behind Jaylen Brown’s 24 points and a 20-point game from Derrick White.
Jayson Tatum returned from an Achilles injury suffered in last year’s playoffs to score 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 6-of-16 shooting.