The NBA playoffs get back in action on Wednesday with three very intriguing matchups on the schedule.
The action begins with the fourth-seeded Boston Celtics hosting the No. 5 Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their series. The Celtics came away with an 84-74 Game 1 victory in a defensive affair that saw the Pacers score just 29 second-half points, including just eight in the third quarter. Star guard Kyrie Irving led the way with 20 points on 6-of-17 shooting to go along with seven assists in the Boston win.
Also in the East, the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks will look to continue their dominance over the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons after a 121-86 win in Game 1. Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 24 points and 17 rebounds. It didn’t help that Blake Griffin sat out with a knee injury, and things only got worse as Andre Drummond later got ejected in the game.
Finally, the No. 4 Houston Rockets are coming off a strong 122-90 win over the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz despite Houston falling to Utah on the final night of the regular season. MVP candidate James Harden continued to dazzle with 29 points and 10 assists throughout the Game 1 victory. It also didn’t hurt that Houston drilled 15 of their attempts from beyond the arc.
NBA playoffs schedule for Wednesday, April 17
*All times Eastern
Griffin at team shootaround, listed as questionable
The Pistons didn’t exactly have the best performance in Game 1 against the Bucks. Part of the reason was due to Blake Griffin being out of the lineup. In fact, it was recently reported that he could miss the entire first round due to his ailing knee. However, Griffin, sporting a leg brace, lightly participated in the team’s shootaround on Wednesday and is listed as questionable for Game 2.
Horford listed as questionable
The Celtics are prepared to be without guard Marcus Smart for the opening round and potentially longer. However, forward Al Horford is currently being listed as questionable on the team’s injury report with an illness. Horford was previously dealing with a knee injury, so it’s likely that the veteran forward will end up playing in Game 2.
