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NBA

Will the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo play in Game 2 against the Heat?

It seems there may be hope yet for the Bucks and their star, with reports confirming that he may in fact be able to play in Game 2 of the series.

Update:
It seems there may be hope yet for the Bucks and their star, with reports confirming that he may in fact be able to play in Game 2 of the series.
STACY REVEREAFP

Following what was a scary fall in Game 1, there were fears that the Bucks’ best player might have to sit out some games in their playoff opening round series against the Heat. Now it seems he’s making progress ahead of Game 2

Bucks optimistic about Giannis’ situation

According to reports on Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks are optimistic that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be able to return quickly after what was an awkward fall during Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat. In what turned out to be a 130-117 loss for the Bucks, Antetokounmpo, went down after making contact with Kevin Love on a drive to the hoop. In visible pain, it wasn’t long before he was ruled out with a back contusion.

Following the game, an initial scan immediately following the game came back clean, however, head coach Mike Budenholzer was still cautious when he spoke on Monday. “He’s still sore, but I think [it’s] progress,” Budenholzer said. “He’s getting some treatment, and we’ll just continue to monitor him for the next day or two.” It goes without saying that Antetokounmpo’s departure changed the complexion of the game, with the Heat climbing to a 68-55 lead at halftime. It would also be safe to assume, that if the Bucks biggest weapon should have to be absent for any length of time, it could significantly damage the Bucks’ playoff hopes. Needless to say, this is good news for a for a team that entered the postseason with the best record in the league.

What to expect from Game 2?

Assuming that Antetokounmpo can play in Game 2, it will go a long way toward increasing the Bucks’ chances of tying up the series at 1-1. Taking nothing away from the Heat’s impressive performance in Game 1, however, one has to imagine that it wouldn’t have been so easy had the former MVP remained on the court in good health. We should also mention that the Heat will be without Tyler Herro who will almost certainly miss the rest of the playoffs after he broke his hand in Game 1. The second game of the series is set for Wednesday night in Milwaukee. After practice on Monday - Antetokounmpo didn’t participate - Budenholzer once again gave a cautiously positive update. “I think still mostly positive, mostly optimistic,” Budenholzer said. “But we’ll see how he feels over the next day or two.”