Will Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Herro play in Heat vs Bucks game 2?
Both teams now face a situation where a key player has been lost to injury. That being said, it’s Miami’s player who could potentially miss the rest of the playoffs.
Bucks sweat on Giannis while Heat lose Tyler Herro
Sunday’s opening game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs was one that will likely have a profound effect on the series. For starters, the Heat we’re able to defeat the highly favored Bucks in an intense affair. Yet, the story of the night was the injuries sustained by a player from each team. On Milwaukee’s side, the Bucks saw their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, suffered a bad fall which resulted in a lower back contusion. This of course immediately sparked questions as to whether he would play again. Where the Heat are concerned, it was 2022′s Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro, who suffered a broken hand after diving for a loose ball. Needless to say, the result of both injuries poses very different challenges for the teams.
What’s the situation with Tyler Herro
To be frank, Tyler Herro has proven himself to be an essential part of the Heat’s roster. From his scoring and shooting capacity - especially from 3-point range - to his work ethic, the 23-year-old has complimented Miami’s already established defense in ways that any team would envy. Indeed, that’s precisely why his absence due to broken fingers in his hand will likely be a major blow to the Heat. Regarding how the injury occurred, Herro went after a loose ball, but unfortunately landed awkwardly on his right hand as he attempted to do so. Although he went immediately to the locker room, it’s interesting to note that the team allowed him to return to the game. Visibly in pain, the team finally took the decision to take him it out of the game. With that, we have now learned that Herro will miss at least four to six weeks with the injury, meaning his role in the Heat’s postseason run is now over. Up to this point, he was averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, meaning this is a major loss.
What about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury?
Unfortunately for the Bucks, it didn’t take long before their best player was sidelined with an injury. Indeed, it was the first quarter when Giannis Antetokounmpo fell awkwardly after being bumped by Kevin Love on a drive to the basket. The two-time MVP landed on his back and could be seen writhing in pain immediately after. For their part, the Bucks remained relatively cautious on the situation, with head coach Mike Budenholzer disclosing that they would be waiting for both medical reports, as well as the opinion of Giannis himself. That being said, it’s finally come to pass that Giannis will not play in Game 2, which as you can imagine is a major blow for the Bucks who are currently down 1-0 in the series.
There has been no official word as to how long Giannis will be out, but what is certain is that the Bucks’ chances of getting anything out of this series depend heavily on the ‘Greek Freak.’ With that in mind, things do indeed look bleak for them going forward. None the less, there’s no time to cry over spilt milk. What counts for Milwaukee now is managing without their star. Easier said than done of course, but the point still stands.