The Pistons listed Duncan Robinson as questionable for Wednesday night’s Game 5 against the Cavaliers on Tuesday afternoon because of low back soreness, putting his status in doubt for a series that is tied 2-2 after Detroit’s 112-103 loss on Monday.
Game 5 was scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, at 8:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, and the injury report also included Caris LeVert, who was questionable with a contusion on his right heel, and Kevin Huerter, who was questionable after missing the last seven games with a left adductor strain.
Robinson’s possible absence matters because he has been one of Detroit’s most efficient shooters in the playoffs. Through 11 playoff games, he averaged 11.5 points while shooting 43.6% from behind the arc, production that has stretched defenses and opened space around the Pistons’ offense. Tuesday’s update was also the first time he appeared on the injury report, a notable turn for a player who had been available throughout the postseason until now.
Huerter’s status carries a different kind of weight. He went down with the left adductor strain on April 25 during the Pistons’ Game 3 loss against the Orlando Magic, and this was the second time LeVert had been listed as questionable. LeVert played in Game 4 despite the heel contusion, which suggests Detroit may again have to wait until closer to tipoff to know how much of its rotation will be intact.
That uncertainty comes at a sensitive point in the series. The Pistons and Cavaliers are even after four games, and the winner of Wednesday night’s matchup will move within one victory of the next round. For Detroit, the question around Robinson is not just whether he can suit up, but whether the back soreness that surfaced on the injury report will affect a player who has already delivered 24 points in one game and 17 points in the first half of another this postseason.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been clear about what Robinson means to the team. “He has been huge for us. He is a guy who carries weight and gravity. He is a mover. He helps facilitate our offense in so many different ways,” Bickerstaff said. He added, “Obviously, his shot-making ability, but also the threat that comes with his shot-making ability. It makes him dangerous and forces players to make tough decisions. He has been really important for us and continues to be.”
For now, Detroit’s answer to is duncan robinson playing tonight remains the same one the injury report gave it: questionable. The real answer may not come until the hours before the opening tip at Little Caesars Arena.
