NBA Basketball 3h Briefing
×Last updated: March 17, 2026, 10:30 PM ET
NBA Playoff Hopes Suffer Setbacks
A string of high-profile injuries has dealt serious blows to several Eastern Conference contenders heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Milwaukee Bucks espn.com superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for a minimum of one week after diagnostic imaging confirmed a bone bruise and a hyperextended left knee, forcing the team to recalibrate its seeding strategy sources told ESPN espn.com. Compounding the league's injury woes, Cade Cunningham espn.com, who has been firmly in the MVP discussion this season, exited Tuesday night's contest against the Wizards due to acute back spasms, leaving the Detroit Pistons espn.com reeling.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies espn.com confirmed that their season is over for two key rotational players, as both forward Santi Aldama and guard Scotty Pippen Jr. underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday. This dual procedure on Pippen & Aldama espn.com drains depth from Memphis's backcourt and frontcourt just as other teams are jockeying for late playoff positioning or securing play-in berths, making the immediate outlook for the Grizzlies significantly bleaker.