The top-seed Milwaukee Bucks have their backs squarely against the wall as they prepare to visit the Miami Heat on Monday night.
The Bucks trail the NBA opening round series 2-1 heading into Game 4 at Kaseya Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with Milwaukee tabbed as a -5.5 point favorite. The total is 217.5.
Both teams are fighting the injury bug.
Milwaukee Bucks (59-26, 1-2, #1 seed)
It appears the Bucks will once again be without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Milwaukee big suffered a lower back contusion in Game 1, playing just 11 minutes. He missed Games 2 and 3 and is listed as questionable again. The Bucks didn’t practice Sunday, but Antetokounmpo did some on-court work in an effort to determine what he might be able to do in Game 4.
No final decision is expected on Antetokounmpo until Monday.
Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks were routed in Game 3, 121-99. Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 23 points.
Khris Middleton with a tough 3-pointer from the 2nd quarter. His 3rd three pointer of the game. pic.twitter.com/0o2XDKDAaa
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) April 23, 2023
Jrue Holiday scored 19 points, Grayson Allen added 14 and Pat Connaughton supplied 11 along with seven rebounds off the bench.
Miami Heat (47-40, 2-1, #8 seed)
The Heat’s two best players are also on the injury report for Game 4.
Jimmy Butler is questionable for Monday’s contest after sustaining a bruised glute in the third quarter of Saturday’s Game 3 win. Butler sat out the fourth quarter but still finished with 30 points, five rebounds and four assists:
Jimmy Butler has 25 PTS 👀
📺: ESPN | Game 3 | Series tied 1-1#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/xqprlC0P6E
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2023
On Sunday, Butler appeared to be walking without much of a limp.
Meanwhile Bam Adebayo is listed as probable for Game 4 with a strained left hamstring. Miami will also be without Victor Oladipo after an MRI on Sunday revealed a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his left knee in Saturday’s Game 3 win.
The Heat are already without Tyler Herro (fractured right hand) and Nikola Jovic (back spasms) for Game 4.
The Heat is on Milwaukee
With Antetokounmpo’s status still up in the air, the Bucks will need a big effort to square the series.
Milwaukee has the players to win this series without their big man, but they’ll have to clean up their act as it relates to mistakes in Game 3. They committed 18 turnovers, got outrebounded and allowed Miami to shoot lights out from beyond the arc.
The Heat went 16-of-33 in their Game 3 win and are now 47-of-94 for the series. it will be interesting to see if the Heat can keep up this level of shooting after making just 34.4% of their attempts in the regular season.
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