8 NBA Players Whose Injuries are Affecting the Playoffs

The first round of the NBA playoffs is still going on as we speak. Only the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers series is still going in the Western Conference. The Thunder swept the Pelicans, and the Timberwolves did the same to Phoenix. The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Lakers 4-1 in their series. In the Eastern Conference, all their series are still ongoing. The New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers are up 3-2 in their series. The Boston Celtics are looking to eliminate the Miami Heat tonight. They will try to do it without Kristaps Porzingis. Speaking of injuries, they have been a black cloud over the playoffs with a lot of key players out. Below are 8 NBA players whose injuries are affecting the playoffs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis strained his calf in the final week of the regular season. The Greek Freak haven’t played a game ever since. The Bucks are down three games to two heading into Game 6 in Indiana. Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis helped the Bucks avoid elimination in their Game 5 win over the Pacers. Doc Rivers said it’s a possibility Giannis could return for Game 6. The season is on the line for Milwaukee and a Giannis return could help extend this to Game 7. Will Giannis return? If so, could you see this going to a 7^th game?

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard was unstoppable to begin the series against Indiana. Unfortunately, Lillard hurt his Achilles in the final minutes of Game 4. He went on to miss Games 4 and 5, but it’s a possibility he could play in Game 6. Milwaukee is hoping for Game 6 returns by both Giannis and Lillard. Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis have stepped up in critical situations for the Bucks. If they were to get Lillard and Giannis, the chances of this going to Game 7 would increase. Will either or both of them return on Thursday night in Indiana?

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler hasn’t played since suffering an MCL tear in the play-in game against Philadelphia on April 18^th. The Heat are currently down three games to one against the Boston Celtics. Would the Heat have a shot against the Celtics if they had their leader? Of course, they would because he’s not called Playoff Jimmy for nothing. In the playoffs, Butler turns it up another notch or two. He’s led this team to a pair of NBA Finals appearances and his presence would’ve led to a much more interesting series.

Zion Williamson

The Pelicans fell to the Lakers in the 7 versus 8 play-in game. Zion had an incredible game but strained his hamstring in the fourth quarter. Williamson had arguably his best NBA game by finishing with 40 points, 11 boards, and five assists. If the Pelicans had Williamson for their first round matchup the series would’ve been much more competitive. Zion was missed on both ends of the floor in the first round. The results saw New Orleans being swept by Oklahoma City.

Kristaps Porzingis

When the Celtics made the trade for Kristaps Porzingis it made the team that much better. The only concern was his health and availability due to the fact he’s missed a lot of games throughout his career. Porzingis missed quite a few games during the regular season, but the Celtics still finished atop of the Eastern Conference. Porzingis went down with a strained calf during Game 4. The Celtics went 21-4 without Porzingis this season, but the postseason is different. They are saying he could be back in time for the Eastern Conference Finals. If Boston gets by Miami, they would be without him for the series with the Cavs or Magic.

Julius Randle

Julius Randle went down after separating his shoulder back in January. The injury was bad enough that he had opted for season-ending surgery in April. The Knicks still managed to grab the 2^nd seed in the Eastern Conference. Jalen Brunson is playing like one of the best players in the league in their series with Philly. Would having Randle hurt or help the Knicks? The All-Star was having a great season, but everyone stepped up in his absence.

Kawhi Leonard

The injury history of Kawhi Leonard has reared its ugly head again. Leonard missed Game 1 but played in games 2 and 3. Kawhi didn’t play in Game 4 and he has been ruled out of Game 5 with knee inflammation. It’s crazy because Leonard is arguably their best player on both ends, but they won the games he’s missed. The Clippers and Mavs series is tied at 2 with their critical Game 5 tonight.

Joel Embiid

Embiid came back before the end of the regular season after missing a couple months due to knee surgery. You can tell he’s not 100% as he continues to hobble on that knee. If that isn’t enough, he revealed that he was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. The Sixers escaped New York with an overtime win in Game 5. Tyrese Maxey was heroic as he put up 46 points including the game tying 34 ft. 3-pointer. Embiid played 48 minutes and finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds.