Blake Griffin likely to miss Detroit Pistons' playoff series against Milwaukee Bucks due to injury
Monday 15 April 2019 09:25, UK
Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin will likely miss their entire first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks due to a knee injury.
Griffin has been hobbled by a sore left knee for much of the last month, missing four of the final seven regular-season games and sitting out Game 1 on Sunday, as Milwaukee pasted Detroit 121-86 in the series opener.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Pistons are concerned Griffin's knee will swell if he returns during this series, as it did when he came back after a three-game absence in early April.
The report adds there is no structural damage in the knee, although it is unclear if Griffin will need a minor procedure this offseason.
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Griffin, 30, averaged a career-high 24.5 points, along with 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 75 games this season. He played in more games and averaged more minutes (35 per game) than he had in any season since 2014-15.
The Bucks, who finished with the NBA's top record in the regular season, host Game 2 on Wednesday. They led by 27 points at halftime on Sunday night, with MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo playing just 24 minutes in the blowout.
The series shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 the following Monday.
