Giannis Antetokounmpo will reportedly return for Bucks-Heat Game 4

Updated Apr 24, 2023 11:24 am ET

The Milwaukee Bucks appear to be getting their superstar back for Monday's pivotal Game 4 against the Miami Heat.

According to The Athletic, Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to play in Monday's game, barring any setbacks. Antetokounmpo missed the last two games due to a lower-back contusion, which led to the Bucks falling into a 2-1 hole in their first-round series with the eighth-seeded Heat.

Antetokounmpo took the court with the rest of his team at Monday's pregame shootaround. A day prior, Anteokounmpo did some individual work during the team's practice, but his coach wasn't sure if he'd be able to play in Monday's game.

"We'll continue to monitor him," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters Sunday. "We'll see how he feels from the session today and see how he wakes up tomorrow."

Antetokounmpo suffered the lower-back contusion when he drove to the rim and fell awkwardly after colliding with Kevin Love in the first quarter of the Bucks' Game 1 loss on April 16. The two-time NBA MVP returned to the game after suffering the injury, but departed moments later in the second quarter.

The Bucks didn't immediately rule out Antetokounmpo for Games 2 and 3. He ended up being a game-time decision for both contests before eventually being ruled out.

Milwaukee won with ease in Game 2, scoring 81 points in the first half before winning by 16. But when the series moved to Miami for Game 3, the Bucks struggled, losing 121-99 on Saturday. 

Antetokounmpo has yet to practice with the team since he suffered the injury, and Budenholzer said that he and other members of the Bucks' brass, plus the medical staff and Antetokounmpo, have to "feel like he's in a place where he can play" in order to return. 

"He always wants to make himself available, he does everything to make himself available," Budenholzer said. "He wants to play, but I think there's also a maturity for Giannis and an understanding and a growth that we just respect, and I think he respects us."

Antetokounmpo had another MVP-worthy campaign during the 2022-23 regular season. He averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, helping the Bucks finish with the NBA's best record while getting named an MVP finalist. 

As he has "to prepare for both teams again," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn't getting ahead of himself, even if his team holds the series lead with Antetokounmpo's return in question. 

"We respect the Bucks deeply," Spoelstra told reporters Sunday. "We know what they’re capable of. And that’s with or without GA. You have to respect championship DNA. They have it. They have guys that have been through the battles, been through wars. It’s not like they’re going to get sick at sea because they’re down 2-1."

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