Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s X-rays were clear after he exited Sunday’s 130-117 Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat with a lower back contusion, coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters.
He suffered the injury on a scary fall when Kevin Love slid underneath him on a driving attempt:
The 28-year-old averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and performed at a high level on the defensive end this season. Fans have just come to expect that kind of production.
There’s a similar attitude toward the Bucks’ status as a title contender. They are fifth in the league in net rating (plus-3.4), per NBA.com, and haven’t fully asserted themselves as the best team in the league.
Still, Milwaukee entered the playoffs as one of the top three or four favorites to lift a championship trophy.
It goes without saying how devastating a serious injury to Antetokounmpo would be to those NBA Finals hopes. As long as he stays healthy, a trip to the conference finals will likely be the minimum expectation.
