The Milwaukee Bucks got a double-blackeye Sunday night. Not only did they get upset by the Miami Heat in the series opener at home, 130-117, but they also saw their best player apparently suffer a back injury, with Giannis Antetokounmpo getting ruled out of the contest before halftime.
If anything, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer brought a measure of good news following the game with regard to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status, (h/t Jamal Collier of ESPN).
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer says Giannis Antetokounmpo had an X-ray that came back “clear.” “We’ll monitor him and see how he wakes up tomorrow”
That leaves the door open for a potential return to action by Giannis as soon as Game 2 of this first-round series in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday. Before leaving Game 1, Antetokounmpo had scored only six points on 2-for-4 shooting from the field with three rebounds and a turnover in only 11 minutes of action on the floor.
With the Greek Freak out for most of Game 1, Khris Middleton tried to put the Bucks on his shoulders, as he finished with a team-high 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting along with nine rebounds and four assists. Bobby Portis also had an increased role and collected 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting and eight rebounds in 27 minutes. In the event that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be ruled out for Game 2, Middleton and Portis stand to see expanded roles anew, with Jrue Holiday also likely to see more shots.
The Bucks and the Heat play the second game of the series in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
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