Giannis Antetokounmpo’s health is a key storyline of the entire 2023 postseason. The 2x MVP sat out the last two games of Milwaukee’s opening round series (v. Miami) due to injury after falling straight on his back (without bracing himself) in Game 1.
Without Antetokounmpo in the lineup, the Bucks dropped Game 1, rebounded with an impressive, 138!-122 victory in Game 2, and got blown out 121-99 once the series shifted to Miami in Game 3.
With his squad now trailing to the 8th-seeded Heat 2-1, it’s no surprise that Giannis will give it a go to try to turn the series around. On the other hand, Miami will be without Tyler Herro (broken hand), once again, and now, Victor Oladipo, who is out for the remainder of the playoffs with a torn patella tendon suffered in Game 3.
Injuries have played a huge part in both this series and the 2023 Playoffs as a whole.
The return of Giannis, however, hopefully, marks a fresh slate for the Bucks: if he plays anywhere near his MVP-level, you have to figure they are favored to fend off Miami for the rest of this series and continue down a straight path track to a potential Finals appearance in June.