When Jared Dudley suffered a torn MCL earlier in the season, he opted not to get surgery. While it’s the riskier decision, it also provided him a chance to return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup, while surgery would have knocked him out for the season, and potentially his career.
After weeks of intensive rehab and recovery, Dudley came back to the court for the Lakers’ regular-season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans. He played just four minutes, but minutes are not something he has cared about since joining the Lakers last season. Instead, he was just ecstatic to be able to play with the playoffs coming up.