Milwaukee Bucks fans received some big news on Monday morning with the reveal that MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back in the lineup for the team’s Game 4 clash with the Miami Heat tonight.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks got off to a rocky start in the 2023 NBA playoffs when he injured his back last week in their first-round opener against the Heat. Unsurprisingly, the team lost that game and has fallen in two of their three playoff battles thus far in the series. If they want to avoid a shock upset in the postseason they need their superstar player back as soon as possible.
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Well, Milwaukee Bucks fans’ prayers were answered a few hours before their matchup on Monday. The Athletic NBA insider Shams Charania reported today that “Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will return to the lineup in Game 4 vs. Heat tonight barring any setbacks.”
A lower back contusion can take several days to a week to heal and Antetokounmpo is right in the normal recovery range for such an injury.
What Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return means for Milwaukee Bucks
While having Giannis Antetokounmpo back on an offensive level will help, the team is actually scoring at a similar clip in the NBA playoffs as they did in the regular season. However, the seven-time All-Star should have more of a major impact on the defensive side of the ball.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (’22-’23): 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG
In the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks were among the top four teams in the league for defensive rating at 110.9. But in the playoffs, they have been the worst among the 16 postseason teams at 123.5 with Antetokounmpo out. He should also be a big help on the boards when he brings his nearly 12 rebounds per game average back to the series Monday.
The Milwaukee Bucks are down 2-1 in the best-of-seven-series and will be looking to avoid going into a 3-1 hole tonight for Game 4 in Miami. The matchup goes down at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.