Pistons' Blake Griffin is inactive for Game 2

Rod Beard
The Detroit News

Milwaukee — Maybe. Maybe not. It’s still questionable.

It’s a daily conundrum for the Pistons’ medical staff in determining Blake Griffin’s status for the past couple of weeks.

It didn’t change ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2 of the playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Griffin again was inactive, missing his third straight game because of knee soreness, another blow to the Pistons’ postseason chances, after a 35-point blowout loss in the opener on Sunday.

Pistons forward Blake Griffin remains questionable for Game 2 of their NBA playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

“It’s his body. He has the situation with his knee that there are good days and bad days. It may feel good in the morning and it may feel bad at night,” coach Dwane Casey said before the game. “It’s not something that can keep him from playing. He played with it in Oklahoma City; he tried to go with it in Charlotte and again in Memphis.

“His body and the medical staff will let him know.”

 Although Griffin had done some light shooting and basketball activities in the morning shoot-around, there was some optimism that Griffin might be able to play. 

Griffin’s status on the injury report hasn’t changed in the past week, but on Wednesday, he wore a heavy knee brace at Fiserv Forum for the portion of shoot-around that was open to the media.

He wasn't jumping with any strength or landing on the knee, so there's no clear sense of how much pounding he can sustain without pain. He said pain management isn't a big issue; it's getting clearance to play from the medical and training staffs.

Griffin revealed after Game 1 on Sunday that he was sitting not of his own volition; rather, the team medical staff and others were making the decision. He’s missed five of the Pistons’ last eight games and it seems the medical staff is exercising caution in dealing with the long-term prospects for his knee.

“People say it’s a ruse or whatever, but it’s real,” Casey said. “His body will let him know if he can go or not. It’s not like we are trying to play without him. Believe me — he wants to go and I want him to go but it’s a medical decision. Hopefully, at some point (maybe Saturday) he can go.”

The Pistons struggled in Game 1 without Griffin, falling behind by 20 in the first quarter, on the way to a 35-point blowout loss

Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard