The Milwaukee Bucks are hopeful that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available Wednesday night when they host the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series. Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET at TD Garden where the Bucks are -5.5 point favorites. The total is 219 at BetOnline.
Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back contusion in the first quarter of Sunday’s 130-117 loss:
Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (lower back contusion) will not return to Game 1 of Bucks-Heat, per @ShamsCharania.
Giannis sustained the injury on this collision with Kevin Love in the 1st quarter 🤕pic.twitter.com/ep8RFTvVfD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 16, 2023
The teams says while he’s listed as doubtful for Game 2, they remain optimistic he will play.
He suffered no structural damage but did miss practice. He’s listed (officially) as doubtful for Game 2 but the Bucks are optimistic that he’ll be available.
Greek Freak is a quick healer
Antetokounmpo has a history of making rapid recoveries from injuries.
The most notable example came two years ago during the Bucks’ championship run. Antetokounmpo hyperextended his right knee during the Eastern Conference finals and missed the final two games of the Bucks’ 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, but he came back to earn MVP of the NBA finals after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and five assists in the 4-2 triumph over the Phoenix Suns. That included a 50-point performance in the title clinching victory:
MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the @Bucks scores 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks at the Game 6 of the #NBAFinals! 💙 #GlobeNBA #AtinAngMundo https://t.co/S87A607hTQ
— Globe Telecom (@enjoyGLOBE) July 21, 2021
This season, Antetokounmpo sprained his right wrist just before the All-Star break but was back in the starting lineup for the Bucks’ next game, just four days after heading to New York to have the wrist examined.
Milwaukee Bucks (58-24, 0-1, #1 seed)
With Antetokounmpo out of the game, Khris Middleton picked up the slack scoring a team high 33 points.
Khris Middleton vs Miami Heat
33 PTS
9 REB
4 AST
12/20 FG#Bucks L.#FearTheDeer #NBA #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Mu4FQTTgVu— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) April 17, 2023
Bobby Portis Jr. had 21 points, Jrue Holiday added 16 points and 16 assists, Grayson Allen scored 12 and Brook Lopez had 10.
Whether or not Antetokounmpo plays, the Bucks will have to do a better job on defense. The Heat drained 60-percent of their three-point attempts and equaled their second-best ever in a playoff game.
It also was a season-high allowed by the Bucks this year and the highest since the Phoenix Suns scorched Milwaukee for 13-for-19 on threes (68.4 percent) in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals.
Miami Heat (43-39, 1-0, #8 seed)
It should come as no great surprise that Jimmy Butler led the Miami attack with 35 points and 11 assists in Sunday’s 130-117 upset in Game 1. “Playoff Jimmy” as he’s known in some circles, scored early and often:
Jimmy Butler game 1 vs Milwaukee Bucks:
35 points
11 assists
5 rebounds
3 steals15/27 from the field
5/8 from the line*28 points in the paint which would be the most he’s had in any game this season pic.twitter.com/JoFxtrfTgE
— taskmaster (@bjay93_) April 17, 2023
Bam Adebayo added 22 points for the eighth-seeded Heat while Kevin Love had 18. Tyler Herro scored 12 before suffering a broken right hand. He is expected to undergo season-ending surgery later this week.
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