Health issues have weighed on the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks, and all three teams lead 2-1 in the first round of their playoff series, with their respective teams on Sunday. Heading into the 4th game.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns mostly healthy but facing postgame eliminations 3-0 loss to Minnesota. No NBA team has ever come back from this deficit to win a series.
Joel Embiid scores 50 points The 76ers earned their first win against the New York Knicks in Game 3, but the reigning MVP played with a bulky brace on his surgically repaired left knee and revealed his response after the game. Bell's palsy symptoms persista type of facial paralysis.
Kawhi Leonard admitted after the incident Clippers 101-90 loss He told the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2, his first appearance in more than three weeks, that his stiff right knee was not responding well.
The Bucks are still awaiting the debut of Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) in the series against Indiana, and star guard Damian Lillard dealt with a knee issue in the Game 3 overtime loss to the Pacers. After that, he aggravated his Achilles tendon injury.
Khris Middleton scored a playoff career-high 42 points, including a game-tying 3-point shot with 1.4 seconds left in regulation, after missing practice the day before with a sprained right ankle.
Lillard was clearly limping in Game 3, but I wore walking boots on Saturday. I then underwent an MRI scan to determine the extent of the damage to my Achilles tendon.
Bucks manager Doc Rivers said Saturday that Lillard wasn't feeling “well” and doubted whether Antetokounmpo would be cleared to play after pregame training.
“We're hurting a lot right now with injuries, but our players are working hard,” Rivers said after the Game 3 loss. “Dame goes out, we think he goes out, and he comes back and says, 'I don't have much, but I'm going.' Chris, I didn't think we were playing. I'm very proud of this team. ”
Knicks AT 76ERS
New York leads 2-1. Game 4, 1pm ET, ABC
— What you need to know: The 76ers won Game 3, needed for a shot at winning the series. The 76ers won the play-in tournament game at home against Miami, then defeated the Knicks. Philadelphia scored 43 points in the third quarter, the most in a playoff quarter since scoring a franchise-record 51 points in the third quarter against Brooklyn in 2019.
— Take note: Embiid made 13-of-19 from the floor, 19-of-21 free throws and five 3-pointers in the Game 3 win. Embiid, who scored a franchise-best 70 points against San Antonio in January, became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game.
— BEWARE OF INJURY: I'll say it again, Embiid. He has a great eye, great legs, and a transcendent performance in the postseason. Embiid has been suffering from Bell's palsy since before the play-in tournament, and he said there is no timeline for a full recovery. New York's Mitchell Robinson, a valuable defender against Embiid, sprained his left ankle in Game 3 and left the arena in his boots.
— The pressure is on: Villanova trio. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are three former Villanova Wildcats who led the Knicks in their first two games at Madison Square Garden. Brunson shot poorly in the first two games, but led the Knicks in Game 3 with 39 points and 13 assists. Hart, whose incredible 3-point shooting in New York was an unexpected bonus for the Knicks, scored 20 points, while DiVincenzo had five.
clippers at mavericks
Dallas leads 2-1. Game 4, 3:30pm ET, ABC
— What you need to know: Dallas is winning on defense, holding the Clippers to under 100 points in back-to-back games. Only once during the regular season did the Mavs hold an opponent to triple digits or less in back-to-back games. Luka Doncic's 22 points in Game 3 were his fewest in 14 playoff wins against superstar Dallas. The Clippers' best performance in this series has been when James Harden is hitting 3-pointers. Their biggest lead in Game 3 was seven points early in the second quarter after Harden made four threes in three minutes. The 10-time All-Star didn't make a shot from long range until LA trailed by 19 points early in the fourth quarter.
— Take note: After two full days off, Leonard's knee wasn't very responsive. Now, the 32-year-old has to return after a short break. The seven shot attempts were Leonard's fewest in a playoff game in a decade. “It's frustrating that something like this happened so late in the season,” Leonard said, adding that he plans to play on Sunday. “We're going to keep going. We're going to get it right.”
— Injury alert: Dallas will likely be without G Tim Hardaway Jr. again due to an ankle sprain. Daniel Gafford has had a great performance to shore up Dallas' defense, but he still has back issues.
— The pressure is on: Paul George will have to be much better than he was in Game 3, with Leonard clearly hampered by a knee injury. When the Mavericks regained control of the game late in the third quarter, he ran into foul trouble and finished. He made just 7 points on 3-of-11 shooting. The nine-time All-Star went 1-of-6 from three in the first playoff game with George and Leonard, with neither reaching double digits.
Big win for the Pacers
Indiana State leads 2-1. Game 4, 7pm ET, TNT
— What you need to know: Indiana has won six of eight games against Milwaukee this season, and did so in part by flipping the script. The NBA's third-worst rebounding team in the regular season jumped from 41.5 to 48.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs, outperforming Milwaukee for the seventh straight conference.
— Take note: Milwaukee's midseason acquisition of G Patrick Beverley could prove to be valuable, especially considering all the injury issues. The 35-year-old has averaged 2.6 assists and 0.6 turnovers per game since joining the Bucks, and could be asked to take on a bigger workload.
— Watch for injuries: Playing without Antetokounmpo and Lillard in meaningful games will be new for the Bucks. The only such instance in the regular season was a 125-107 loss to Oklahoma City in the penultimate game.
— The pressure is on: Middleton, who set a career high in the playoffs, will need more after winning the 2021 title to avoid putting the Bucks on the brink of a third consecutive postseason disappointment. I might have to do something like that.
Timberwolves at Suns
Minnesota leads 3-0. Game 4, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
— What you need to know: Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in a 126-109 win as the Timberwolves dominated in a lopsided series for the third consecutive game. The Suns had hopes of winning a title with their All-Star trio of Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal, but the club's three-year streak of winning at least one series is in jeopardy.
— Watch: Timberwolves guard Nickell-Alexander-Walker hit four 3-pointers in the third quarter of Game 3, helping turn a close game into another close game. He is averaging over 14 points per game off the bench, six more than he did in the regular season.
— Injury watch: Suns guard Grayson Allen sprained his right ankle in the series opener and missed Game 3 after aggravating the injury in Game 2. Phoenix missed out on being the NBA leader in 3-point shooting percentage during the regular season. Allen is expected to be available Sunday.
— The pressure is on: Suns coach Frank Vogel. The veteran coach, hand-picked by owner Matt Ishbia and general manager James Jones, may be the last one with the franchise. Vogel has struggled to win on this top-tier roster, and the Suns may be looking for a different voice again.
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AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Dan Gelston and Michael Murrow contributed to this article.
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