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76ers Playoff Watch: Bucks Will Get Health Boost vs. Heat

The Milwaukee Bucks are getting a notable injury boost for their Game 4 matchup against the Heat.
Justin Grasso|
76ers Playoff Watch: Bucks Will Get Health Boost vs. Heat
76ers Playoff Watch: Bucks Will Get Health Boost vs. Heat

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Philadelphia 76ersMilwaukee BucksMiami Heat

The top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks have fallen behind. After entering the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks quickly dealt with a challenging obstacle as the star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a back injury in the first quarter of Game 1.

After going out early, Antetokounmpo was ruled out for the rest of the first matchup. Without him on the floor, the Bucks failed to overcome the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.

The Bucks left the door open for Antetokounmpo to return in Game 2, but it never happened. Fortunately for Milwaukee, they prevented falling into a two-game hole by beating the Heat while shorthanded.

But when the series went to Miami for the first time on Saturday, the Bucks couldn’t deliver two in a row. For the second-straight game without their MVP finalist, the Bucks suffered a beatdown to the Heat. Now, the underdogs are on top with a 2-1 lead.

Milwaukee Gets A Boost

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Bucks anticipate Antetokounmpo’s return to the lineup for their Game 4 matchup against the Heat on Monday night.

Barring any unexpected setbacks, Antetokounmpo is on pace to play.

This season, Antetokounmpo has only played in two games. He totaled 42 minutes on the floor over those two games.

In the game he spent 36 minutes on the court, Giannis produced 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. Before seeing his night cut short to six minutes in the second outing, Giannis scored four points, four rebounds, and four assists.

It’s clear the Bucks are a much better team with Antetokounmpo on the floor. Miami might not be facing a fully healthy Bucks team when the MVP candidate is out there, but his presence alone should give the Bucks a nice boost as they look to tie the series up 2-2. 

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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