Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ shocking Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday, the team provided an upbeat update on the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who left the game after a scary fall to the court in the first half.
The Bucks’ head coach has provided an update on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo’s back X-rays were “clear,” but his status for Game 2 is still unknown.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer says Giannis Antetokounmpo had an X-ray that came back "clear"
"We’ll monitor him and see how he wakes up tomorrow"
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 17, 2023
Milwaukee Bucks fans did not want to see this in the first quarter of the team’s first playoff game: two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo writhing on the court in pain.
At the 4:13 mark of the first quarter on Sunday at Fiserv Forum, Miami Heat defender Kevin Love attempted to draw an offensive foul after driving into the paint. Love was called for the foul, but Antetokounmpo was clearly in pain after an awkward foul on his lower back.
He lay motionless on the ground for a few seconds, face down, favoring his back, before being picked up by his teammates.
Giannis with a scary fall 😳
Fortunately, he's ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QaShNkKoUi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023
Antetokounmpo stayed in the game and even hit a tough layup before exiting with 1:46 remaining in the first quarter. He entered the arena’s back entrance.
Antetokounmpo returned to the bench in the second quarter and entered the game at 9:46.
However, he was only able to play for a few minutes before being replaced by Jae Crowder. Antetokounmpo went back to the locker room, and the team ruled him out with a lower back contusion a few minutes later.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, the Heat took over after Giannis left the game, eventually winning Game 1 130-117.
The two-time MVP missed 19 games this season, but the Bucks held their own.
Milwaukee went 11-8 without Antetokounmpo, with two of those losses coming in the final two games of the season, when the Bucks had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This isn’t Antetokounmpo’s first injury in a playoff series against the Heat. During the 2019-20 season, he was unable to play in Game 5 of the team’s second-round matchup. He also only played 11:29 in Game 4 of that series due to an injury.
The Heat are in a good position after winning Game 1 on the road, but they can’t relax, especially if Antetokounmpo returns for Game 2.
As Game 2 approaches, the Bucks will most likely provide an update on the status of the two-time MVP.
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