Will Giannis play in Game 5? The Heat is preparing for 2 very different looking Bucks
The Miami Heat doesn’t know whether it will have to go through Giannis Antetokounmpo to get to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.
The superstar was spotted Monday wearing a protective boot on his sprained right ankle after the Milwaukee Bucks practiced at the ESPN Wide World Sports Complex and he spent his day getting as much treatment as possible to be ready to play in Game 5 on Tuesday.
No matter whether Antetokounmpo’s in or out of the lineup, the Heat knows it can’t waste any more time closing out the top-seeded Bucks.
“We’ll prepare for him to be there,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, “and we’ll prepare for them if he’s not.”
Miami missed a golden opportunity to put away Milwaukee in Game 4 on Sunday and now the Heat has to reset for Game 5 on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Lake Buena Vista.
Antetokounmpo’s status is still uncertain. The Bucks listed him as questionable on their Monday injury report. Miami, meanwhile, listed forward Jae Crowder as questionable with a left ankle sprain, rookie wing Tyler Herro as questionable with a right hip bruise and post player Kelly Olynyk as questionable with a right knee bruise.
Antetokounmpo went down with 10:17 left in the second quarter Sunday and did not return after reinjuring his nagging right ankle. The Heat led by one when Antetokounmpo checked out and stretched its lead to as much as 12 in the third quarter before losing 118-115 in overtime. The supporting cast came together to cut the No. 5-seed Heat’s series lead to 3-1 and force a Game 5 in Walt Disney World.
Miami, which entered the series as a somewhat significant underdog, “played like we was up 3-0,” as All-Star power forward Bam Adebayo put it Sunday.
“It’s a human condition,” wing Andre Iguodala said. “You’re hearing so many things, whether you’re trying to block them or not. Outside forces, they weigh more on the mind than you would like to think.”
Sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson said the biggest focus at practice Monday was simply trying to recapture the sense of urgency which carried the Heat to seven straight wins to open the 2020 NBA playoffs. Miami, however, also struggled to respond to the way the Bucks’ approach changed when Antetokounmpo left.
The Heat had an excellent defensive game plan to stymie the forward throughout the first three games of the second round. Antetkounmpo lives off playing downhill, sending his 6-11, 242-pound frame crashing to the basket as often as possible to either finish at the rim or create contact. Miami countered by building a wall of players — often three or four at a time — cutting him off from getting to the rim.
Without Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee had to adjust on the fly and it landed on a dominant four-guard lineup. The Bucks surrounded center Brook Lopez with guards Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, Donte DiVincenzo and Khris Middleton, and played this five-man unit for nine minutes in the fourth quarter and overtime.
In the fourth, this group played six minutes and outscored the Heat, 14-4, while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. In overtime, the group played three minutes and won those minutes 4-2. For the full game, the Bucks outscored Miami by 20 points while this lineup was on the floor.
“It’s not like we haven’t seen it before. They have a very good team. They have a lot of different guys that can attack you, put pressure on your defense off the dribble and they have shooting,” Spoelstra said. “We were capable of more than last night, but you do have to credit the Milwaukee Bucks. They played a very good game, with or without Giannis.”
Both Spoelstra and Iguodala likened the Antetokounmpo-less matchup to the Heat’s first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. Miami swept the Pacers, but all four games were close in the fourth quarter because guards like Malcolm Brogdon and Victor Oladipo would typically have a stretch when they got hot scoring against some of the Heat’s young perimeter players.
Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t make any sort of official announcement about Antetokounmpo’s status Monday and the Bucks face a difficult balancing act between winning this series and protecting the franchise’s long-term future. Antetokounmpo is expected to win his second straight NBA Most Valuable Player Award this year and he’s eligible to sign a maximum contract with Milwaukee this offseason.
As good as the Bucks looked without Antetokounmpo, their best chance to rally from a 3-0 series deficit is to have the MVP finalist on the court. No team, however, has ever won a series after falling behind 3-0. Even if Antetokounmpo plays through pain, Milwaukee might be looking ahead to 2021 by the end of the day.
“We’ll continue to make decisions that protect and keep Giannis in a position where he’s healthy, and has a long, long, healthy career,” Budenholzer said. “And is still available to us and giving us what he can.”
This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
