NBA Finals: Phoenix Suns' Dario Saric Suffers ACL Injury

Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric was one of a handful of Sixers connections in the 2021 NBA Finals this year. Saric, who joined the Sixers a couple of years after getting drafted, was one of the key players the infamous "process" landed.

However, he didn't stick around in Philly too long as he was used as trade bait in the deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which netted the Sixers Jimmy Butler. After a short-lived stint with the T'Wolves, Saric found himself on the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

Now in his second season with the Suns, Saric is finding great success coming off the bench. In 50 regular-season games this year, the former Sixers forward averaged 8.7 points per game while shooting 45-percent from the floor and 35-percent from three.

After missing the playoffs last year, Saric and the Suns notched the second seed in the Western Conference this season. With series matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Suns eventually made it to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they were set to face the Milwaukee Bucks for Game 1 at home on Tuesday night.

Although the Suns took the first matchup with a 118-105 victory, the organization still took a notable loss as Saric's diagnosis after a first-quarter injury was not so promising. After leaving the court two minutes into Tuesday's game, Saric was ruled out for the rest of the evening with a knee injury.

On Wednesday afternoon, the veteran forward received his official diagnosis, and it's the worst-case scenario for Saric and the Suns. According to the Suns' official Twitter account, Dario Saric has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. He will be out indefinitely, and unfortunately, his NBA Finals run will be over after just two minutes of action.