Coming into the day as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were likely licking their chops ahead of their matchup against the Miami Heat, who clinched the final seed via the Play-In Tournament.
Of course, as we all know, nothing is guaranteed in the sports world. The latest example of this came in the first quarter of the Bucks’ playoff matchup with the Heat, where Antetokounmpo suffered a hard fall with 4:13 to play in the opening frame.
The incident occurred when drove the lane where he’d meet Kevin Love, who planted himself in a position to take a charge.
As you can see, Antetokounmpo didn’t have any chance to break his fall before slamming down onto the hardwood floor.
The “Greek Freak” could later be seen heading back to the locker room at Fiserv Forum, where he’d receive further medical attention. Unfortunately, those tests would reveal somber news, with the two-time NBA MVP being ruled out for the rest of Game 1 with a lower back contusion.
The Heat had a 24-12 lead at this point in the game, and obviously, if Milwaukee is set to be without their best player for a significant amount of time, their chances at not only winning this game but advancing past the first round get a lot slimmer. This became evident as the game raged on, with the Heat outlasting the Bucks in a 130-117 victory to steal Game 1 on the road.
There is no timetable for Antetokounmpo’s return. But coach Mike Budenholzer did reveal Antetokounmpo had an X-ray, which came back “clear“. The team will continue to evaluate its superstar.