With Giannis Antetokounmpo limited to just 11 minutes over the first three games of the series, the Bucks face a 2-1 deficit in their first-round series with the Heat.
Antetokounmpo first went down in the first quarter of Game 1 as he suffered a scary fall on a drive to the basket. After hitting the deck, Antetokounmpo gingerly walked to the locker room, where he received treatment before attempting to return to the floor.
The two-time MVP's efforts proved to be futile. He was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game and was subsequently ruled out for the next two games in the series.
What does this mean for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks moving forward? Here is what we know about his injury.
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What is Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury?
In the first quarter of Milwaukee's meeting with Miami, Antetokounmpo drove for a layup but collided with Kevin Love, who was set up for a charge. Antetokounmpo fell on his back and stayed on the floor before eventually getting up.
Here is the play:
The Bucks later ruled the injury as a lower back contusion.
This season, the Bucks were 47-16 with Antetokounmpo in the lineup. Without Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee went 11-8.
How long will Giannis Antetokounmpo be out?
After missing Games 2 and 3, Antetokounmpo is set to return to the lineup for Game 4.
Following his injury in Game 1, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo's X-ray came back "clear," according to ESPN's Jamal Collier.
"We'll monitor him and see how he wakes up [on Monday]," Budenholzer said.
While The Athletic's Shams Charania initially reported that there was optimism around Antetokounmpo's availability moving forward, he would be ruled out for Games 2 and 3 due to the injury, which was believed to be a pain tolerance issue.
With Antetokounmpo in action, the Bucks will look to even things with the Heat before the series shifts back to Milwaukee.
Bucks vs. Heat schedule
Below is the schedule for the remainder of the first-round series. After lengthy breaks to open the series, games will be played on every other day for the remainder of the series.
Date | Game | Time (ET)/Result | TV Channel |
April 16 | Game 1 | Heat 130, Bucks 117 | — |
April 19 | Game 2 | Bucks 138, Heat 122 | — |
April 22 | Game 3 | Heat 121, Bucks 99 | — |
April 24 | Game 4 | 7:30 p.m. at Heat | TNT |
April 26 | Game 5 | 9:30 p.m. at Bucks | NBA TV |
April 28 | Game 6* | TBD at Heat | TBD |
April 30 | Game 7* | TBD at Bucks | TBD |
*If necessary