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Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight vs Heat? Bucks star’s Game 5 ankle injury report not enouraging

Raahib Singh
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Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight vs Heat Game 5

Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo aggravated his ankle injury in the 2nd quarter of Game 4 and could be out for tonight’s Game 5 vs Heat.

The Bucks are not having their best series against the Heat. They were down 0-3 coming into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

The Bucks did not look their same dominant self that they have been all season. Their defense is struggling and that has affected their offense.

When Giannis exit the Game 4 after hurting his ankle, the Bucks realized its now all up to them to avoid getting swept, without their leader being on the floor and they rose to the challenge.

Also Read: “Khris Middleton puts up historic numbers to beat Heat in OT”

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight vs Heat?

According to the recent report released by Shams Charania, Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the game vs Heat

The way Giannis landed after the layup attempt in the 2nd Quarter, it definitely raised concerns regarding the reigning MVP’s ankle. With only a day’s gap between Game 4 and 5, Giannis just couldn’t recover.

Giannis expressed that he wants to take the floor for Game 5 against the Heat, but his ankle hasn’t healed in time.

Do or Die, how will the Bucks face this Game 5 challenge?

The Bucks played Game 4 with a sense of urgency they seemed to be lacking all throughout the series. If Giannis takes the floor and the Bucks keep up the same ‘play-style’, they have a chance to stop the Heat again.

The Heat coach Spoelstra mentioned in his post-game interview that he hopes the Heat would look to play the Game 5 right after they lost their rhythm in Game 4. The Bucks can expect a more focused Heat coming tonight. If they aim to hold off elimination for another game, the Bucks cannot give the Heat any leeway.

Also Read: “How Giannis’ decision making is affecting the Bucks”

The keys to the Bucks winning would be:

  1. Taking care of the ball
  2. Brining defensive intensity
  3. Taking high % shots

Bucks could become the first team in NBA history to script a comeback from 3-0 and while they looked brilliant on the floor without Giannis the last time round, they would be desperately hoping that the reigning MVP is fit and raring to go for this must-win game.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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