A new report indicates that Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to play in Monday night’s pivotal Game 4 against the Miami Heat.
Sources: Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will return to the lineup in Game 4 vs. Heat tonight barring any setbacks. Antetokounmpo missed Games 2 and 3 with a lower back contusion.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 24, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo is out on the floor at today’s shootaround. pic.twitter.com/CTqpG8ZrhF
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 24, 2023
Entering Monday night’s clash, the Heat hold a 2-1 lead in the first-round series and can take a commanding lead with another victory in the best-of-seven matchup.
Antetokounmpo suffered the injury during the first quarter of the series opener on April 16. After making an effort to get back on the court in that game, he soon left the contest and has not seen on-court action since that time.
The Heat upset the Bucks in that opener, with the absence of Antetokounmpo a factor in the surprising result. The Bucks were able to bounce back at home in Game 2, but they dropped Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Heat in Miami.
As a two-time league MVP and one-time Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo is quite obviously the key piece in the Bucks’ effort to capture another NBA title.
Even though the 28-year-old is expected to play on Monday night, how effective he’ll be against an aggressive Heat squad remains to be seen.
After the injury to Antetokounmpo, the Bucks were hopeful that the superstar would return for the second game of the series. That wish obviously never materialized, and he was then ruled out for Game 3 as well.
Whatever contributions the seven-time All-Star can offer will be welcomed, though his time on the court may end up being determined by the level of pain that he can tolerate.
Considering that the injury is to Antetokounmpo’s back, the Bucks are hoping that the superstar can avoid having a recurrence of the issue or make it worse than before. That’s especially true for the future, as he’s in the prime of what is undoubtedly poised to be a Hall of Fame career.
Surely, the Heat were making plans for Antetokounmpo’s return or continued absence. The team’s own injury woes include Tyler Herro expected to be out for most of the postseason and the season-ending surgery for Victor Oladipo.
Regardless of Monday night’s result, Game 5 will take place in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
