Miami (AP) – Giannis Antikonmo affiliate Milwaukee Bucks He was ruled out of Game 3 of his team’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Miami Heat on Saturday night due to his persistent back problem.
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It is the second full game that Antetokounmpo missed in the series. He played only 11 minutes of Game 1, was ruled out for the remainder of that game after being diagnosed with a back bruise, and then did not play on Wednesday in Milwaukee’s win in Game 2.
Bucks coach Mike Bodenholzer said Antetokounmpo is making progress.
“We’ll keep watching it, all day tomorrow, and all day the next day,” Budenholzer said. “He’s nowhere to go, so we’ll continue to monitor him, work with him and hope for the best.”
Milwaukee entered Saturday 12-8 this season when Antetokounmpo does not play in a game.
Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP and one of three finalists – joining Nikola Jokic of Denver and Joel Embiid of Philadelphia – to win their first singles league title this season. He averaged 31.1 points this season, fifth best in the NBA, along with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
Antetokounmpo isn’t the only big name dealing with injuries at the moment.
Embiid sat out Philadelphia’s winning streak in Brooklyn earlier Saturday with a sprained right knee. The Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Phoenix and fell into a 3-1 hole in that series after once again playing without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — both of whom, like Embiid, also dealt with sprained right knees.
Miami will miss last season’s sixth man winning Tyler Hero for several weeks due to a broken hand that was surgically repaired Friday. Memphis goalkeeper Ja Morant also suffered a right hand injury.
“Every team, there is a bond and there is a desire to be there for each other,” said Bodenholzer. “I think it just increases the competitiveness, increases the desire when it’s Giannis or Kawhi Leonard or Joel Embiid (out) and those guys, they want to be there for a guy when he’s injured and he can’t play. It’s a little bit of that human nature. It’s Playoffs. Hopefully these things will have some positive effect, but you have to go out and play.”
Without Antetokounmpo in Game 2, the Bucks didn’t miss a beat. They led by as many as 36 points en route to a 138-122 win, as Milwaukee made 25 3-pointers and shot 54% from the field.
Game 4 of the Bucks-Heat Series takes place on Monday in Miami. The two teams tied 1-1 going into Saturday’s game.