NBA
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo play in game 3 against the Miami Heat? Injury update
The 28-year-old Greek has been out with a back injury - but will he be back in time for when the Bucks take on the Miami Heat?
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ star player, has missed most of the series so far due to injury, and every week questions have swirled around the minds of fans and pundits alike of exactly when the Greek Freak will be back in action.
Antetokounmpo left Game 1′s loss with the back injury and didn’t play on Wednesday in the Bucks’ 138-122 Game 2 victory: the Bucks and the Heat are now tied at 1-1 going into game 3. The player had a bad fall which caused him to suffer a back contusion, and as a result he has been on the sidelines. Things looked positive ahead of game two against the Heat, however Giannis failed to pass as fully fit and was rested for the clash.
Is Giannis fit to play against the Heat in game 3?
Unfortunately, the latest reports say that he is not likely to play. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters on April 21 that Giannis did some individual work but was not able to take part in the team practice session, and as such he did not have an update on his fitness.
This revelation from the coach leaves Antetokounmpo’s fitness questionable and the likelihood is that he will not feature in game 3. The player will, yet again, be a huge loss for his side who continue to find a way to win without him: Antetokounmpo had another amazing regular season, averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest while shooting 55.3% from the field.
‘We’ll see where he is’, says Budenhozer
“We’re just going to monitor him the rest of today,” Budenholzer said before the Bucks left for Miami. “We’ll monitor him tomorrow and see where he is, and together with him make decisions.”
“The reality of it is when he’s ready or anybody’s ready, that’s when they’re going to play,” Budenholzer said. “You can’t deny the playoffs and reality and human nature and things like that, but I don’t think your back or your body knows whether it’s December or the playoffs. You’re ready when you’re ready. We’re always going to protect him and think about his health, his future, his career.”