Milwaukee Bucks star player Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered an injury during the team’s first playoff game against the Miami Heat on Saturday, April 16th. The injury occurred in the opening minutes of the game when Antetokounmpo collided with Heat forward Trevor Ariza while driving to the basket. He left the game and did not return, and the Bucks went on to lose the game 109-107. The severity of Antetokounmpo’s injury is currently unclear, and the Bucks have not yet announced a timeline for his return. The injury is a significant blow to the Bucks’ chances in the playoffs, as Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA MVP and the team’s top scorer and rebounder.
On top of losing the game, the Bucks also face uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo’s injury. The extent of his back injury is still unknown, and his availability for the rest of the series remains in question. Without him, the Bucks may struggle to keep up with the Heat, who have a deep and talented roster.
The loss also highlights the team’s struggles in recent playoffs. Despite being a dominant team in the regular season for the past two years, the Bucks have not advanced past the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs. The pressure is now on for the team to turn things around and avoid another early exit.
Game 2 of the series is set for Tuesday, and the Bucks will need to make adjustments quickly if they hope to even the series without their star player.
A contusion is a bruise, and Antetokounmpo’s injury may yet turn out not to be serious. In a postgame press conference, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said X-rays of the injury were “clear,” but the team will monitor the injury.
“We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly what Giannis says,” Budenholzer said. “Certainly we’ve been blessed with him being incredibly resilient and quick-to-heal, but you’ve just got to take it day by day and see how he’s doing.”
The Bucks’ next playoff game is Wednesday evening, which could give the star time to recover. Antetokounmpo sprained his wrist during regular-season play in February but returned after a week. Budenholzer said the team would be ready regardless.
“Any good team, you have to be able to play without your best player,” Budenholzer said. “There’s a lot of talent in the locker room, a lot of toughness, a lot of competitiveness. So no matter who’s coming out on Wednesday, they’ll be ready.”
On Sunday, Antetokounmpo’s exit was a disappointment for fans, reminding them of his 2021 postseason knee injury, which forced him to sit out the end of the Eastern Conference Finals. Fortunately, Antetokounmpo returned for the NBA Championship Series, and the Bucks went on to win in six games against the Phoenix Suns.
On the other hand, Tyler Herro, a Wisconsin native playing for the Heat, left the game in the first half with a broken hand, likely ending his season.
Before the game, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bucks beat writer, Jim Owczarski, shared that despite being the favorite, the team had a sense of urgency in approaching the playoffs, after being knocked out of contention by the Boston Celtics in the previous year.
“They’re trying to play — I don’t want to say an underdog role … but a return to a sort of hunter mindset, as opposed to being the hunted,” Owczarski said. “Whether that’s a mental trick or not, it’s one they’re trying to play on themselves.”
A bright spot for the Bucks was the return of sharpshooting forward Khris Middleton, who had been out with a knee injury. Middleton scored 33 points and earned praise from guard Jrue Holiday, who said in a postgame press conference that “when it comes to Bucks basketball, playoffs basketball, Khris is always going to show up.”
“Having him out there leading us, getting us back into the game, bringing that energy — that’s something we’re going to need,” Holiday said.
If the series with the Heat were to go to seven games, it would end on April 30 in Milwaukee. The NBA playoffs end in June.
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