Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the team’s practice on Tuesday due to his lower back injury.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer tells reporters that Giannis Antetokounmpo was not able to participate in practice today.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 18, 2023
Antetokounmpo was forced out of Game 1 due to the injury, helping the Miami Heat pick up a huge upset win on Sunday.
The Heat and Bucks play Game 2 of their series on Wednesday night, so there is still time for Antetokounmpo to rest up and be able to play in that matchup. It’s as close to a must-win as possible for the Bucks, as they’d like to avoid being down 2-0 to Miami with the series shifting to South Beach.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer had an optimistic outlook on Antetokounmpo’s status ahead of Game 2, saying time is on the team’s side.
Budenholzer: "We have 24-plus hours before gametime. He'll get treatment. And we'll see how he feels. I think there has been a lot of progress and hopefully there's more in the next day or so."
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 18, 2023
Budenholzer: "I mean, I think if I'm being honest, I think there is an optimism (that Giannis Antetokounmpo will play in Game 2). Time is a little bit on our side, but I think that equation will flip, so yeah, I would say we're optimistic."
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 18, 2023
However, the most recent injury report is saying that Antetokounmpo is “doubtful” for Wednesday’s Game 2.
BREAKING: Giannis Antetokounmpo is ‘doubtful’ for tomorrow’s game vs Miami pic.twitter.com/h7mDII3oB0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 18, 2023
Milwaukee was disjointed on offense in Game 1 without its leading scorer and MVP candidate, but the team does have some capable options to fill in for Antetokounmpo if he ends up sitting out.
Bobby Portis was the main beneficiary from Antetokounmpo’s injury, scoring 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding eight rebounds in Game 1. The Bucks could also opt to go small and play forward Jae Crowder at the power forward spot.
Crowder scored just two points on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 1.
The Heat certainly caught a break early in the series, and the team took advantage by stealing Game 1. However, with Tyler Herro (broken hand) done for the series, Miami needs all the help it can get to compete with the Bucks.
Gabe Vincent, Kevin Love and Caleb Martin all stepped up in Game 1, but the Heat may need more than that if Antetokounmpo does end up suiting up in Game 2.
During the regular season, the Bucks have played 19 games without Antetokounmpo, going 11-8 in those matchups.
Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday will likely be tasked with carrying a bigger scoring load on offense if the two-time MVP sits, while Brook Lopez will hold things down on the defensive end. Milwaukee still has a big frontcourt even without Antetokounmpo, which is less than ideal for a Heat team that likes to play small.
The Heat and Bucks are scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. EST from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
