Giannis 'Doing Everything He Can' to Play Bucks-Heat Game 3 amid Back Injury, HC Says

Giannis Antetokounmpo's lower-back contusion has kept him from Bucks practice, but he is doing individual work on the court ahead of Game 3 on Saturday in Miami.

"He's doing everything he can to make himself available to play," head coach Mike Budenholzer said Friday, per ESPN's Jamal Collier.

Antetokounmpo played 11 minutes in Game 1 before he was injured during a collision with Miami's Kevin Love.

The Heat and Bucks are tied 1-1 in the series. Tipoff for Game 3 is tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET.

After hitting the court hard in Game 1, Antetokounmpo slowly got back to his feet and remained in the contest to take the free throws he earned from Love's foul.

He ended up exiting the game when it became clear his mobility was limited, and did not return for Game 2 on Wednesday. His X-rays came back "clear."

Budenholzer said the team would be monitoring Antetokounmpo's status to see if he is ready to go this weekend.

"We're just going to monitor him the rest of [Friday]; we'll monitor him [Saturday] and see where he is," Budenholzer said.

Budenholzer continued: "The reality of it is, when he's ready or anybody's ready, that's when they're going to play. You can't deny the playoffs and reality and human nature, but I don't think your back or body knows whether it's December or the playoffs. You're ready when you're ready. We're always going to protect him and think about his health, his future, his career."

The early playoff injury to one of the Bucks' starters continues a pattern that has troubled Milwaukee for three straight seasons.

The Bucks lost Antetokounmpo to a hyperextension of the knee for two games in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. The star power forward returned to earn an MVP title as he led Milwaukee to the championship.

Last season, Khris Middleton suffered a knee sprain in Game 2 of the 2022 first round. Middleton missed the rest of the playoffs, and the Bucks were eliminated in seven games by the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals.

The Bucks are hoping Antetokounmpo's recuperation will follow a similar recovery timeline to what he saw in 2021, and not the longer rehabilitation Middleton went through last postseason.