Pistons star Blake Griffin will miss Game 1 of the team’s series against the Bucks on Sunday due to a knee injury, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Griffin will be listed as day-to-day going forward.
“We’ll take this day by day,” Griffin said of his injury last week, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m not looking forward to a day that’s not right here in front of me.
“I’ll sit with our training staff and whoever else needs to be in on that decision and make that call.”
The Pistons held a 2-5 record during the regular season without Griffin, who tweaked his knee late in the campaign and missed his first game due to the injury on March 30. Head coach Dwane Casey started forward Thon Maker in place of Griffin in most of the games he missed this month.
Detroit will rely heavily on the production of star center Andre Drummond in Griffin’s absence, with the 25-year-old averaging a career-high 17.3 points, 15.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 79 games this past season.
Following Sunday’s Game 1, the Pistons will stay in Milwaukee for Game 2 on Wednesday, then travel home to host Milwaukee for Game 3 on Saturday.
Let Griffin rest up and play him in the home games. Little to no shot at winning on the road with or without him much better chance at home
Death, taxes, and playoff injuries for Blake Griffin and Chris Paul…