Sources: Pistons' Blake Griffin likely to miss first-round series with Bucks
Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin will likely miss the entire first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks because of a left knee injury, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Griffin has battled the injury for the past several weeks, getting pulled from the Pistons' second-to-last game against Memphis and missing the season finale against New York, games the Pistons needed to win — and did — to qualify for the last playoff spot.
Without Griffin, the Pistons were no match for the top-seeded Bucks in Game 1 on Sunday night, losing 121-86 at Fiserv Forum.
After initially missing three games with the sprained knee, Griffin returned April 5 against Oklahoma City to score 45 points, but the knee swelled again and limited his effectiveness two nights later against Charlotte. The Pistons are concerned that could happen in the playoff series against the Bucks, even with the possibility of Griffin having 10 days off heading into Game 3 on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena.
Griffin will be listed as day to day for the remainder of the series, with a league source calling it a "slim chance" he plays this weekend. There's no structural damage in the left knee, and it's unclear whether he'll need some type of minor procedure this offseason. Griffin and team doctors will decide the best course of action when the season concludes.
Griffin has been the catalyst for the Pistons making the playoffs for only the second time in the last decade, and he’s stayed largely healthy until this injury. Griffin played 75 games in his first full season in Detroit — his most since 2013-14 — and the organization wants to preserve his health for the long term because he's under contract until 2021-22. He was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in January 2018.
Griffin had a career year this season while making his sixth All-Star team, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point range.
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