Injuries have dominated the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs so far.
The Suns take on the Pelicans in Game 4 in New Orleans without star Devin Booker, who is out with a hamstring injury. The Bucks were in the same boat with Khris Middleton, who missed Game 4 against the Bulls in Chicago with a sprained MCL. Both teams, who competed in the 2021 Finals, will likely miss their stars for the remainder of their first-round series.
The Golden State Warriors are moving full steam ahead after Steph Curry returned to the lineup, even if he’s coming off the bench. The Warriors are on the verge of sweeping Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. They head into Game 4 in Denver with a 3-0 series lead.
No team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
Sunday’s action is rounded out by Game 4 in Atlanta between the Hawks and Heat, who are likely to be without Kyle Lowry following a hamstring injury. Miami leads 2-1.
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No Lowry for Heat in Game 4
Miami guard Kyle Lowry (left hamstring strain) was listed on the official injury report as questionable for Game 4 against Atlanta on Sunday, and just before tip-off, the Heat ruled him out. The Heat own a 2-1 series lead but lost Game 3 where Lowry exited the game late in the third quarter and did not return.
Nuggets trying to avoid elimination
Denver All-Star Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half against Golden State and helped the Nuggets to a63-52 halftime lead with their season on the line. Down 3-0 in the series, Denver had its best half of the series. Aaron Gordon and Bones Hyland each had 11 points for the Nuggets who shot 48.7% from the field and 41.2% on 3-pointers.
An oddity: Steph Curry – just 1-for-6 on 3s – missed consecutive free throws late in the second quarter. Andrew Wiggins had 14 points for the Warriors who shot 4-for-15 on 3s in the opening half. Golden State’s Klay Thompson (10 points) picked up his fourth foul with .5 seconds left in the half.
No Simmons in Game 4 for Nets
There had been some chatter that Brooklyn’s Ben Simmons would make his season debut in Game 4 against Boston. However, the Nets, who trail the Celtics 3-0 in the first-round series, ruled him out of Monday’s game with back soreness/return to competition reconditioning. The way the Nets are playing (not well), it also doesn’t make sense for them to put Simmons in that situation with their season on the line. That’s just too much pressure for a player who hasn’t played all season.
VanVleet questionable for Game 5
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet, a key piece to its success, is questionable for Game 5 against Philadelphia on Monday (8 p.m., NBA TV). VanVleet sustained a strained left hip in the second quarter of the Raptors’ 110-102 Game 4 victory on Saturday. The Raptors, down 3-1 in the series, have been battered by health issues in this series.