Two teams with championship aspirations began their post-All-Star break run Friday night when the Milwaukee Bucks (41-17) host the Miami Heat (32-27).
Latest Updates Injury for Milwaukee Bucks – Miami Heat
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THE BUCKS
The Bucks hope to earn a split of the season series in the final meeting between these Eastern Conference foes this year. The Heat swept both meetings at home, but the Bucks took the lone meeting on the road, 123-115, on February 4.
On Friday, as both the Bucks and the Heat return from the All-Star break, the Heat will travel to Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Bucks want to continue where they left off from their previous game.
Before the All-Star break, the Bucks defeated the Bulls 112-100 in Chicago, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo playing only nine minutes due to a right wrist injury.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Doubt vs Heat
Antetokounmpo got in the All-Star Game long enough to dunk on the opening possession before leaving the game. After having his wrist checked out in New York, it was determined that he had sprained a ligament but avoided more serious injury. Once his pain has been treated, he will be able to come back to work.
Budenholzer told the media that despite Milwaukee’s extensive injury report, both Bobby Portis and Jae Crowder will play on Friday. Since he injured his knee on January 23, Portis has been out, and Crowder has yet to play this year after being traded from Phoenix to Milwaukee.
It is expected that Antetokounmpo will not play on Friday, but it has not been announced whether or not Khris Middleton or Pat Connaughton will. Both players were able to practice on a limited basis despite dealing with knee and calf injuries, respectively.
Antetokounmpo was limited in Wednesday’s practice and will likely miss Milwaukee’s first game after the All-Star festivities. Even though X-rays of the MVP candidate came back negative, it was thought that the Bucks would still want to keep Antetokounmpo out of action for a while to prevent any further injury.
Jrue Holiday will likely take over as Milwaukee’s primary playmaker if he is ruled out, with Joe Ingles, Bobby Portis, and Jae Crowder all having good opportunities to play 20 or more minutes per game.
With 31.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, Antetokounmpo is the Bucks’ leading scorer and rebounder this season. Jrue Holiday is second on the team in scoring with 19.4 points and first in assists (7.1) and steals (1.3). With 14.5 points, Brook Lopez leads all players with 2.4 blocks per game.
Injury reports: Wesley Matthews (Calf), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Wrist) and Pat Connaughton (Calf).
Matthews can’t play in this game because he hurt his calf. This is the first game he’s missed since January 21.
Connaughton’s (calf) participation in practice was limited on Wednesday, and he will probably miss his second game in a row because of soreness in his left calf.
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THE HEAT
The Miami Heat currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, 0.5 games back of the sixth-place New York Knicks and thus safe from the Play-In Tournament.
Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo, and Nikola Jovic were all out for the Heat. While Lowry is recovering from knee surgery, Oladipo is dealing with ankle problems, and Herro is nursing a left knee contusion. No one knows if they will be able to play on Friday.
Jimmy Butler is prepared for this game because he averaged 22.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 32.8 minutes per game in his 10 games played prior to the All-Star break.
Injury reports: Tyler Herro (Knee), Omer Yurtseven (Ankle), Nikola Jovic (Back) and Kyle Lowry (Knee).
Herro told reporters on Thursday that he is ready to play on Friday despite missing the final two games before the All-Star break due to a knee contusion.
Even though the reigning Sixth Man of the Year probably will play, the team apparently wants to see him go through warmups first. In his last five games, Herro has posted averages of 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 40.4 minutes played.
As he recovers from surgery on his left ankle, Yurtseven has been sidelined for the entire season. There is no set date for the second-year big man’s return, though Miami is hopeful he will be able to play soon.
The Heat announced in early January that the 19-year-old Jovic would be out for an extended period of time due to a lower-back stress reaction, and he hasn’t played since December 26. He will miss the team’s return to action following the All-Star break and his return date is uncertain.
According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, head coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that Lowry (knee) would be out indefinitely.
Before the All-Star break, Lowry had missed six games in a row due to knee pain, and it looks like he’ll miss at least a few more games after the break as well.
