Sports Time Radio

Since the NBA doesn’t consider the play-in games part of the playoffs it is now officially the 1st round of the NBA playoffs. All but one series has played three games and at this point you have to wonder if some injuries to top players will have an effect on the teams that met in the NBA Finals last season.

In Game 2 of their playoff game against the New Orleans Pelicans the top seeded and the team with the best regular season record the Phoenix Suns lost their best player Devin Booker to a hamstring strain. With Booker missing part of the 3rd quarter and all of the 4th quarter in Game 2 the Pelicans where able to even the series at a game apiece, but last night even without Booker the Suns took a 2 game to 1 lead in the series with a 114-111 win.

With Booker out everyone expected that Chris Paul would have to be the one to carry the Suns and he did last night with 28 points and 14 assists, but he had some help. DeAndre Ayton also scored 28 points for the Suns last night and he added 17 rebounds as well.

Reports on Booker’s injury have him out for what would be the remainder of this opening round series no matter how many games it goes and his availability for the start of Phoenix’s 2nd round series would also be up in the air. That is if the Suns can get by the Pelicans and move into the 2nd round.

With Booker out, do you have New Orleans being able to bounce back and knock Phoenix out of the playoffs? It’s very rare in the NBA that an 8th seed beats a #1 seed, but with the injury to Booker maybe will see that happen.

Now the other injury that might affect a 1st round series or even farther into the playoffs happened to the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Khris Middleton went down in Game 2 of the Bucks series against the Chicago Bulls and was diagnosed with a strained MCL ligament in his knee. Middleton is now expected to miss anywhere between two to four weeks so clearly, he’s out for the remainder of the Bucks series vs. the Bulls and may miss Milwaukee’s entire second round series if the Bucks advance.

Now last night in Game 3 of the Bucks series with the Bulls Middleton’s absence wasn’t noticed as Milwaukee cruised to a 30-point victory 111-81 in Game 3 of their 1st round series.

With Middleton out you’d expect that Giannis Antetokounmpo would take over and while he did have a well-rounded game scoring 18 points grabbing 7 rebounds and handing out 9 assists, he wasn’t Milwaukee’s leading scorer in Game 2. Grayson Allen ended up being the Bucks leading scorer with 22 points. Former Bull Bobby Portis posted a double-double scoring 18 points and pulling down 16 rebounds and Jrue Holiday added 16 points in Milwaukee’s win.

So, last night Milwaukee was able to cruise without Middleton, but what will be the long-term effect of him being out? Can Milwaukee get by the Bulls in this 1st round? If the Bucks do advance into the 2nd round, how will they do with Middleton still being out?

The NBA also named their Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 regular season. Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors is this year’s Rookie of the Year.

Barnes played in 74 games this season averaging 15.3 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game on his way to being named Rookie of the Year.

Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers finished 2nd to Barnes in the voting while Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons ended up 3rd with Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets in 4th and Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic rounded out the Top 5.

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