Injuries to NBA stars have dominated the headlines as the playoffs began over the weekend. From Anthony Davis’ scare to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, and Tyler Herro being sidelined due to injuries during their playoff openers, the start of the postseason has been dimmed by the possible fading of title hopes, depending on how bad they’re hurt.
Anthony Davis’ Scare
Los Angeles Lakers fans were worried after Davis grabbed his right shoulder and said he couldn’t move his arm. Fortunately, he rebounded from a stinger and returned for the start of the third quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks faced the Miami Heat in the playoffs, but they had to do so without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The star player was hurt on a drive to the basket, where he landed awkwardly.
After being fouled by Kevin Love of Miami, Antetokounmpo fell heavily on his backside. Despite picking up his second foul around 2 1/2 minutes later, he continued to play for approximately 11 minutes for the No. 1 seed of the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo is an integral part of the Bucks team and coach Mike Budenholzer said they will be monitoring him closely. “We’ll monitor him and see how he does, see how he wakes up, how he feels,” Budenholzer said.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant, a key player for the Memphis Grizzlies, suffered an injury during the first-round Western Conference series. He had already injured his right hand in a win that secured the No. 2 seed for the Grizzlies for a second consecutive season.
While playing against the Lakers, Morant attempted to drive to the basket with 5:48 left, and his right hand appeared to bend unnaturally upon hitting the court. He writhed in pain before heading towards the Grizzlies’ bench and then sprinting to the locker room after letting out a yell near midcourt.
Although X-rays came back negative, Morant is doubtful for Game 2 due to his right hand injury. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said they will continue to perform additional tests and take it one day at a time.
Tyler Herro
The Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro broke his right hand late in the second quarter. Despite this, the Heat went on to win 130-117 against the Bucks. The severity of his injury was disclosed at halftime, and Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said Herro won’t play Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Heat will devise their next course of action.
Other Injuries
The Clippers survived their opener against the Phoenix Suns by beating them 115-110 without eight-time All-Star guard Paul George, who’s been sidelined by a sprained right knee since late March.
The playoffs started off with some exciting basketball but have been overshadowed by the injuries to star players. Fans are worried about their teams’ chances and are hoping for a quick recovery for their injured players. Only time will tell how much of an impact these injuries will have on the rest of the postseason.
