On Sunday, during the first half of the game between the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and No. 8 seed Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo was unable to continue playing and was removed from the game. As a result, Miami went on to win the game 130-117, giving them a 1-0 series lead over Milwaukee.
Meanwhile, Tyler Herro, the starting guard for the Heat, suffered a broken hand. After halftime, he was compelled to remain on the sidelines for the remainder of the game. However, his teammates on the Heat stepped up and compensated for his absence by launching an offensive attack.
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Miami Heat Dominated the Game
Before the end of the first half, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the main player of the Bucks team, was sidelined due to a lower back contusion resulting from a tough fall in the initial quarter. Antetokounmpo tried to continue playing through the injury but eventually left the court for good. His circumstances will be unclear throughout the remainder of the series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo takes a hard fall as Kevin Love attempts to draw a charge. pic.twitter.com/bFBRdaEsz8
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) April 16, 2023
Because of Antetokounmpo's absence, the Heat dominated the game, shooting 59.5% from the field and 60% from 3-point distance. Jimmy Butler took charge with 35 points, 11 assists, and three steals. Bam Adebayo added 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Kevin Love provided 18 points and eight rebounds as he took on a greater responsibility while Herro was unavailable.
The Bucks struggled from long distance, shooting only 24.4% from 3-point range, and their efforts to close the gap in the fourth quarter were unsuccessful as the Heat held on to their lead. Milwaukee's All-Stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, will likely have to step up in Antetokounmpo's absence if he misses more time in the series.
Antetokounmpo, named the league's most valuable player twice and was also awarded the Finals MVP title in 2021, maintained an average of 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game this season. Additionally, he had a shooting accuracy of 55.3% from the field.
Recently, he was chosen as one of the top three contenders for the Most Valuable Player prize, alongside Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. His absence from the remainder of the series would be a significant loss for the Bucks and the NBA.
The Heat, who upset the top-seeded Bucks in the 2020 playoffs, now have an opportunity to repeat their success and challenge for another playoff upset.
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