Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to have avoided major injury. After a scary fall on his back, X-rays and MRIs came back negative but the question of how long he would be out still remained. There has been optimism that he will still play in game 2 but that is still up in the air. Giannis did not practice today and his game 2 status is still unknown.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer tells reporters that Giannis Antetokounmpo was not able to participate in practice today.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 18, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Game 2 Status Unknown
Head coach Mike Budenholzer talked to the media after practice today and shared his thoughts on the Giannis situation. “We have 24-plus hours before game time. 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,” he said. There is still plenty of time for Giannis to get treatment and for the team to make a call. Budenholzer is not making any calls until closer to tip-off and he seemed rather optimistic despite Giannis missing practice.
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Schedule Benefit
Budenholzer admitted that the Sunday to Wednesday break benefits the Bucks.
“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.”
He seems optimistic that Giannis could play in some form for game 2 against the Miami Heat. Even if he does not have a 40-minute workload, even 20 minutes of Giannis on the court would be helpful. The Bucks will need him if they are going to tie the series up. Going down 0-2 in the first round is not ideal.
If Giannis Antetokoumpo does miss game 2, other members of the team will need to step up. Big games out of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez will be necessary to make up for his absence. The Bucks will try to tie up the series on Wednesday night and until then, we wait to hear what the status of Giannis will be.
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