Everyone in the state of Wisconsin collectively held their breath when Giannis Antetokounmpo went down in Game 1 of the playoffs. He was out the rest of the game and fans were left wondering how long he would be out. The initial report is that he avoided a long-term injury and now the question is when will we see him back on the court. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there is “optimism” that he could be back for Game 2.
There is optimism surrounding Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (back) availability for Game 2 vs. Miami on Wednesday, sources say. From Run It Back on @FanDuelTV: pic.twitter.com/E6GpFdxjaC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Return For Game 2
The Bucks benefit from the fact that the game is not until Wednesday night. It gives Giannis plenty of time to rest and heal before needing to be back on the court. He can test out the back in some practices and drills as well to see how it responds. Regardless of whether he plays or not, the fact that it is even being considered for Game 2 should make Bucks’ fans breathe a sigh of relief. The good news is that they may not need a one hundred percent Giannis for this series.
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Game 1 Was An Anomaly
The Heat shot the living daylights out of the ball on Sunday. After struggling the entire season with the offense they caught fire for one game. This most likely is not repeatable for three more games. The Heat will likely not shoot as well as they did and the Bucks will not have as bad of a game as they did on Sunday. It was the perfect storm for the Bucks to lose. The good news is that they may be able to get by this team without having to play Giannis for 40 minutes a game. This should help him heal even more to be back to one hundred percent for the next couple of rounds.
The Bucks are going to be fine as long as Giannis is not out long-term. This does not seem to be an injury that is going to keep him out for an extended period. Even if he misses Game 2, he should be back for the next one. The Bucks need to rebound on Wednesday in order to tie up the series.
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