The Detroit Pistons and coach Dwane Casey may have been swept out of the first round by the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, but they still have enough reasons to be optimistic. One is Blake Griffin.
The All-Star forward was ruled out of the first two games of the series because of a nagging knee injury he had been dealing with for weeks. However, he insisted on playing in Games 3 and 4, and while his efforts didn't help the Pistons that much, head coach Dwane Casey still praised the 30-year old All-Star.
In a postgame interview with the Washington Post's Ben Golliver, Casey said that he's proud of Griffin for playing through injury.
“He played his heart out with basically one leg. He fought through a lot of pain and swelling. He just gave a passionate speech in the locker room about how proud he was to play with those guys.”
Blake Griffin finished Game 4 with 22 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Although the Bucks won 127-104, Griffin received a standing ovation from the crowd at Little Caesars Arena.
Despite facing insurmountable odds against the Bucks, Blake Griffin played with inspiration over the last two games. It was his way of showing commitment to Dwane Casey, the franchise, and what the Pistons are building in the future.
Griffin has already said before the series against Milwaukee that making the playoffs was the first step toward achieving Detroit's goal of becoming a contender. Now he will look forward to creating a better, more competitive team next season.
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