Pistons’ Robinson, LeVert, Huerter Available For Game 7
May 17: For the second consecutive game, Robinson, LeVert and Huerter have been upgraded to available after initially being listed as questionable, tweets Patterson.
May 16: The Pistons have listed guard/forwards Duncan Robinson (low back soreness), Caris LeVert (right heel contustion) and Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) as questionable for Sunday’s do-or-die Game 7 against Cleveland, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
All three players were also listed as questionable for Friday’s Game 6 win in Cleveland, which evened the second-round series at three games apiece. Robinson, LeVert and Huerter were all upgraded to available prior to that victory.
Huerter reportedly received an injection prior to Game 6 after aggravating his adductor injury, which had caused him to miss two-plus weeks. He didn’t end up playing on Friday, but Robinson and LeVert both played significant roles with the Pistons facing elimination for the fourth time this postseason.
Robinson, who was limited in Game 4 due to the back issue that caused him to miss Game 5, recorded 14 points (including converting four of his seven three-pointers), two rebounds, two assists in 20 minutes. The veteran shooting guard has been a key floor spacer and secondary play-maker in his first season in Detroit. He came off the bench in Game 6 for the first time this season (Daniss Jenkins got his second straight start).
LeVert, meanwhile, had eight points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes on Friday. The veteran wing is facing his former team with a chance to advance to an Eastern Conference finals vs. New York.
Pistons’ Robinson, LeVert, Huerter Available For Game 6
May 15: All three wings have been upgraded to available, according to Patterson (Twitter link). The team announced that Daniss Jenkins, who started Game 5 with Robinson out, will continue to start tonight (Twitter link).
ESPN’s Jamal Collier reports (via Twitter) that Huerter re-injured his adductor muscle in Game 5, when he only played three minutes. The impending free agent received an unspecified injection to play on Friday, league sources tell Collier.
May 14: The Pistons have listed guard/forwards Duncan Robinson (low back soreness), Caris LeVert (right heel contustion) and Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) as questionable for Friday’s Game 6 in Cleveland, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
Detroit is facing playoff elimination on Friday. After winning the first two games of the second-round series against the Cavs, the Pistons have dropped three straight contests and will have to win on the road to save their season.
Robinson was outstanding in the first three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, making at least four three-pointers in each contest while averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 steals, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 33.7 minutes. He converted 58.3% of his three-point looks in those games.
The 32-year-old tried to play through his lower back issue in Game 4, but he was clearly hampered, recording as many fouls (four) as points and only attempting two shots in 29 minutes. The Pistons were outscored by 19 when he was on the court, compared to a positive plus-minus mark in each of the first three games.
The Pistons certainly could’ve used a healthy Robinson in Game 5, which they lost in overtime after blowing a late lead in regulation.
Despite dealing with an injury of his own, LeVert’s minutes have increased the past two games with Robinson either less than 100% or out of the lineup.
As for Huerter, he returned to action in Wednesday’s Game 5 after missing a little over two weeks with the adductor strain. He suffered that injury in Game 4 of Detroit’s first-round matchup vs. Orlando.
Pistons Notes: Game 5, Thompson, Robinson, Huerter, TV
Tied at 103 in the final seconds of Wednesday’s matchup with Cleveland, the Pistons thought Ausar Thompson would be heading to the free throw line with a chance to with the game after he was knocked to the floor as he and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen scrambled for a loose ball. However, no foul was called on Allen, with crew chief Tony Brothers explaining after the game that he and his fellow officials viewed the contact as incidental as both players went after the ball. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff disagreed.
“He fouled Ausar,” Bickerstaff said, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). “It’s clear. He trips him when he’s going for a loose ball. End-of-game situation, that’s tough.”
The no-call sent Game 5 to overtime, where the Cavaliers secured the victory and took control of the series — they’re heading back to Cleveland with a 3-2 lead and a chance to close out the series on Friday.
As disappointing as that last-second officiating decision was, the Pistons have to shoulder the brunt of the blame for the loss, Sankofa writes. Detroit held a nine-point lead with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter, but they missed their last six shot attempts from the floor in regulation, allowing the Cavs to fight their way back.
“You’ve got that type of lead, man, in the playoffs,” Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins said. “We knew what game this was, how important it was. We can’t lose that win. We’ve gotta be better.”
The Pistons fell behind 3-1 in their first-round series vs. Orlando and won the next three games to advance. Bickerstaff remains confident in his team’s ability to pull off a similar comeback in this series.
“You’re going to have to choke the life out of this team,” he said. “We’re not gonna go down without a fight, we’re not gonna go down without kicking, punching, grabbing, clawing, and that’s just who we are. And we’ve been in this position before. And we were able to work our way through it. I expect our guys to be ready mentally to go out and compete at a high level, and bring this thing back here (for Game 7).”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Trajan Langdon and the Pistons’ front office have faced some criticism for not making a move to add a more dangerous No. 2 offensive option to complement Cade Cunningham. Detroit’s lack of reliable scorers besides Cunningham was on display in Game 5, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, who argues that the team’s ceiling is limited until those offensive shortcomings are addressed. As Patterson details, no team has been in more “clutch” games during the playoffs than the Pistons, but they have an offensive rating of just 91.5 in clutch time across those eight contests, with Cunningham (22 points on 7-of-14 shooting) outscoring the rest of the team (21 points on 8-of-26 shooting) in clutch situations.
- The Pistons were missing sharpshooter Duncan Robinson on Wednesday, as Jamal Collier of ESPN writes. Robinson sat out due to a lower back injury after initially being listed as questionable. Veteran wing Kevin Huerter, sidelined since Game 4 of the first round due to a strained left adductor, was active for Detroit but played just three minutes and went scoreless.
- The Pistons have a new local media television rights deal in place with Scripps Sports, the team announced in a press release. Beginning next season, WMYD TV20 Detroit will be the new home for Pistons games, which will be broadcast on free, over-the-air television. “This move is for our fans. They have been huge all season and throughout this playoff run. Their energy and support have lifted our team and helped fuel our resurgence,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “It’s a new era of Pistons basketball and we want to make sure that more people in Detroit and throughout Michigan can be part of the journey.” The Pistons were one of the 13 teams advised by the NBA to seek a new local TV deal with Main Street Sports Group headed for insolvency.
Pistons List Robinson, LeVert, Huerter As Questionable For Game 5
The Pistons have listed three players, including starting shooting guard Duncan Robinson, as questionable for Wednesday’s pivotal Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
Robinson, the team’s main three-point threat, is dealing with low back soreness. Robinson attempted just two field goals and scored four points in 29 minutes during Game 4 on Monday, when the Cavaliers evened the series at two games apiece. He had averaged 17 points in the first three games of the series while knocking down a total of 14 three-pointers.
Reserves Caris LeVert (right heel contusion) and Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) are also listed as questionable. LeVert was listed as questionable for Game 4 and not only played but produced one of his best games of the season. He scored a team-high 24 points in 31 minutes and added four rebounds and three assists.
Huerter has missed the past seven postseason games after appearing in the first four contests of the opening round series against Orlando. He was also considered questionable for Game 4 before being downgraded to out.
Pistons’ LeVert Available, Huerter Out For Game 4
6:35 pm: LeVert has been upgraded to available but Huerter has been ruled out again, according to Patterson (Twitter link).
2:54 pm: The Pistons have two reserves listed as questionable for Monday’s pivotal Game 4 against the Cavaliers. Caris LeVert is dealing with a right heel contusion and Kevin Huerter is on the injury report due to a left adductor strain, according to Coty Davis of the Detroit News.
LeVert’s minutes have fluctuated quite a bit during the postseason. He’s played as much as 25 minutes but also logged a DNP-CD in Game 7 against Orlando in the opening round. He has played an average of 13 minutes against Cleveland in the first three games of the second-round series and recorded six points and four steals in 17 minutes in Game 3.
Huerter played steady minutes as a reserve in March and April during the regular season. He came off the bench in the first four games against Orlando but was injured after a three-minute stint in Game 4.
Both players were present for the morning shootaround on Monday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
Cavaliers’ Merrill, Pistons’ Huerter Out For Game 2
Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill has been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 2 in Detroit, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The sixth-year wing was initially considered questionable for tonight’s contest due to a left hamstring strain, which he suffered during Tuesday’s Game 1 loss vs. the Pistons.
Merrill had a career year for the Cavs after re-signing with the club on a four-year, $37MM contract in 2025 free agency. He averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 26.5 minutes per game — all career highs — while shooting 42.1% from long distance during the regular season.
Merrill didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice and it would have been surprising if he had suited up on Thursday, given the nature of his injury. But the fact that the 29-year-old was initially listed as questionable suggests his injury may not be severe.
Pistons wing Kevin Huerter will also be sidelined on Thursday, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Huerter was downgraded from doubtful to out because of a strained left adductor he suffered on April 27.
Huerter was playing rotation minutes for the top-seeded Pistons in the first-round series against Orlando. The impending free agent suffered the injury in Game 4.
Injury Notes: Merrill, Robinson, Embiid, Vanderbilt, Kennard, Huerter
Cavaliers wing Sam Merrill, who exited Tuesday’s game vs. Detroit after playing just seven minutes, has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI on Wednesday, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Merrill didn’t participate in today’s practice and is listed as questionable for Game 2, though given his diagnosis, it would be a little surprising if he returns on Thursday.
Merrill was a crucial part of Cleveland’s rotation during its first-round series vs. Toronto, providing much-needed floor spacing. After making 42.1% of his three-pointers during the regular season, he converted 11-of-29 (37.9%) across seven games against the Raptors. Among Cavs players, only Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Max Strus made more threes in the first round, and each of them played more minutes and hit a lower percentage than Merrill.
As Fedor notes, after Merrill went down in Game 1, the Cavs increased the workloads of Strus and Jaylon Tyson and inserted Keon Ellis into their rotation.
“We’ll probably have to lean on those guys if Sam isn’t back right away,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been added to the team’s injury report due to an illness and is considered a game-time decision for Wednesday’s Game 2, head coach Mike Brown told reporters this afternoon (Twitter link via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic). Robinson played just 12 minutes and had two points, four rebounds, and four fouls in Game 1.
- Although the Sixers ruled out Joel Embiid for Game 2 of their series vs. New York, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll miss multiple contests. Head coach Nick Nurse said today that it’s fair to consider Embiid day-to-day as a result of his ankle and hip injuries, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
- As gruesome as Jarred Vanderbilt‘s finger injury looked on Tuesday, the Lakers provided a positive update on his status on Wednesday. “They were able to put his finger back together. He’s splinted and he’s day to day,” head coach JJ Redick said of Vanderbilt, who sustained an open dislocation of his right pinky finger (Twitter link via Khobi Price of the California Post). Vanderbilt is considered doubtful to play in Game 2 on Thursday, while Luke Kennard is also on the injury report as questionable due to neck soreness, per the team (Twitter link via Jovan Buha).
- Pistons wing Kevin Huerter, on the shelf since April 27 due to a left adductor strain, has been listed as doubtful for Game 2 vs. Cleveland, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Huerter was listed as questionable for Game 1 being being downgraded to out.
Injury Updates: Ingram, Harris, Huerter, F. Wagner, Isaac
As expected, the Raptors will be down their leading scorer as they try to avoid elimination on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). After being downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day due to right heel inflammation, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram will be sidelined for the Game 6 home contest vs. Cleveland.
Ingram, who exited Game 5 in the second quarter after aggravating a heel issue that sidelined him for three games during the final few weeks of the regular season, is still experiencing pain in that right heel and wasn’t on the court for the portion of Friday’s shootaround. Toronto will also be without starting guard Immanuel Quickley, who will miss the entire series due to a hamstring strain.
On a more positive note for the Raptors, Scottie Barnes wasn’t on the injury report ahead of tonight’s game after Toronto’s other All-Star took a hit to the thigh in Wednesday’s loss.
“He’s feeling good,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Barnes (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “It’s awesome to be young and recover quickly.”
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Pistons starting forward Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) will be active for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando, but reserve wing Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) is out, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. As we noted earlier on Friday when both players were questionable, Huerter has played a modest role in the series, but Harris has scored at least 16 points in each of the first five games. Detroit is also facing elimination, currently at a 3-2 deficit in the first-round matchup.
- Magic star Franz Wagner will miss his second straight game on Friday due to a right calf strain, and his return doesn’t sound imminent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said the German forward wasn’t able to do anything at Friday’s shootaround, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner, who was in a walking boot on Wednesday, suggested ahead of Game 5 that he and the team would take a cautious approach due to the nature of the injury.
- In addition to Wagner, the Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac again on Friday. The veteran big man continues to battle a left knee sprain he suffered on March 12. Mosley said Friday morning that Isaac still hasn’t done contact work, Beede writes. “Just how he responds to each part of treatment,” Mosley said. “Some days it’s feeling a certain way. Some days it might not feel as great. So we’re always going to be cautious and smart about how they respond to each treatment each time they go through it.”
Injury Notes: Ingram, Tatum, Harris, Huerter, Lakers
After initially listing Brandon Ingram as questionable for Friday’s do-or-die Game 6 due to right heel inflammation, the Raptors are downgrading the veteran forward to doubtful, according to Michal Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
Ingram, who exited Game 5 in the second quarter after aggravating a heel issue that sidelined him for three games during the final few weeks of the regular season, is still experiencing pain in that heel and wasn’t on the court for the portion of Friday’s shootaround that was open to the media, tweets Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Ingram was Toronto’s leading scorer during the regular season but has struggled in the first round of the playoffs vs. Cleveland, making just 19-of-58 shots from the floor (32.8%), including only 14-of-45 two-pointers (31.1%). Still, he demands significant defensive attention when he’s on the floor and his absence figures to hamper the Raptors’ offense as they attempt to extend their season on Friday. With Ingram unavailable in Wednesday’s second half, the club made just 15-of-50 (30.0%) field goal attempts.
The good news for the Raptors is that forward Scottie Barnes, who was hobbled in Game 5 after taking a shot to the quad, isn’t listed on the injury report and will be good to go for Game 6.
We have more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Celtics forward Jayson Tatum didn’t play the last 16 minutes of Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia. Tatum, who returned in March from a torn right Achilles, was battling a left leg issue, he confirmed after the game, but he downplayed the issue and suggested he’ll be fine for Game 7. “It was my other leg,” Tatum said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “So not the one I injured last year. I wasn’t overly concerned. I came out at four minutes (left in the third quarter) like I was supposed to and just kind of assessed the game. And they took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter. So yeah, it was not like that big of a deal.”
- Pistons forward Tobias Harris (left ankle sprain) and Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) are both listed as questionable for Friday’s Game 6 in Orlando, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). Huerter has played a very limited role in the series, scoring just six points in 42 total minutes, but Harris has started and scored at least 16 points in all five games, so his status will be worth monitoring closely ahead of tonight’s contest.
- Outside of Luka Doncic, who isn’t close to returning from his left hamstring strain, the Lakers have an otherwise clean injury report for Friday’s Game 6 in Houston, tweets Jovan Buha. After winning the first three games of the series, the Lakers will get their third chance to close out the Rockets and avoid a Game 7.
Injury Notes: Gordon, Hyland, Wagner, Isaac, Huerter, Hart
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is listed as questionable in the official injury report for Thursday’s Game 6 at Minnesota. Gordon wasn’t available for Games 3 and 5, but he managed to play through the pain caused by tightness in his left calf and logged 23 minutes in Saturday’s Game 4.
Tomorrow will be another must-win for Denver, which trails 3-2 in the series. Coach David Adelman talked to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link), about what will go into making the decision on Gordon’s availability.
“I though Aaron in the first half (of Game 4) was very different from Aaron in the second half,” Adelman said. “And I know in both halves, he wasn’t moving great. So I’m not saying he looked great the first half. But I thought his mobility, the way he guarded (Julius) Randle in the post, we need that. I thought in the second half, you could see the wear and tear. Not to mention, for me, one of the hardest parts of a guy like that is you’ve gotta get him back on the court quicker (after he subs out). And I think when you get to halftime, you sit there for 20 minutes, that doesn’t help anyone.
“So I’m not a doctor. I’m not a trainer. But obviously, you guys could see it. I could see it. There’s a point where it’s not good for him; it’s not good for the team. And everybody knows that Aaron wants to play. The guy’s the ultimate teammate. He’s been so good for us over the years. But we have to do what’s right for him and the team.”
Gordon and Peyton Watson, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, worked out after today’s walkthrough, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).
Other than Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who both suffered serious injuries on Saturday, the only player listed on the Timberwolves‘ injury report is Bones Hyland, who is questionable due to left knee soreness.
We have a few more injury-related updates from around the league:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who was ruled out of tonight’s Game 5 with a calf strain, offered an update on his condition, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).“I hate to miss any game, especially in this situation,” Wagner said. “But I think there are things that are really important. Obviously, we know the history of other guys that have gotten hurt. So like I said, you’ve got to be careful with this kind of injury.” Wagner had his right foot in a boot as he spoke with the media, adds Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Jamal Cain took Wagner’s place in the starting lineup.
- The Magic are also missing backup big man Jonathan Isaac, who’s out with a left knee sprain, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are playing tonight without Kevin Huerter, who’s sidelined with a left adductor strain, relays Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are listing Josh Hart as questionable for Thursday’s Game 6 with a lower back contusion, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.