Pistons' Tobias Harris leaves Thunder game amid Achilles injury concern
Yesterday at 12:18 AM
The Detroit Pistons are playing out the final few weeks of the regular season as they get ready for their first playoff run since 2019. The Pistons have been one of the best feel-good stories in the NBA this season, but they are now getting a little bit banged up heading into the postseason.
On Wednesday night, starting wing Tobias Harris left the Pistons’ contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to right Achilles tendinopathy, according to Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News.
“Pistons announce that Tobias Harris (Right Achilles tendinopathy) will not return to tonight's game,” Davis reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Harris is a crucial player for this Pistons group. He gives them size and shooting on the wing, which has been a big part in the success of this team under JB Bickerstaff this season. For the year, Harris is averaging 13.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
This obviously doesn’t seem like a serious injury for Harris, but it is something that can linger around and affect him heading into the playoffs if it doesn’t heal quickly.
The Pistons are already playing without superstar guard Cade Cunningham, who missed his fifth straight game on Wednesday night with a calf injury. Cunningham is having one of the best individual seasons in Pistons history, so getting him healthy in time for the postseason is the team’s top priority at the moment.
Without Cunningham, the Pistons battled hard against the best team in the NBA. However, a late run from the Thunder allowed them to pull away and secure a 119-103 victory.
Pistons fans are starved for postseason success, as the team has not won a game in the playoffs since 2008. They have reached the postseason three times since, but have been swept in the first round every time.
After this loss, the Pistons will drop to 42-34 and have just six games to go in the regular season. At the moment, Detroit is safe from the play-in tournament, but it is in a tight battle with the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are now just a half-game ahead of the Bucks, so they will be hoping that both Cunningham and Harris can make it back soon to snap the drought.
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