Due to a lower back injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the standout player for the Milwaukee Bucks, was declared unable to finish Sunday's 130-117 Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat.
After the first-round contest, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer stated that Antetokounmpo's X-ray was "clear." Budenholzer said, "We'll watch him and see how he wakes up [Monday]."
With 1:46 left in the first quarter, Antetokounmpo received a charging foul committed by Heat forward Kevin Love and landed on his back.
Following his second foul in the first quarter, Antetokounmpo left the game but moved swiftly towards the locker room. With 9:56 remaining in the second quarter, he made his appearance while wearing tape around his lower back.
During his subsequent time on the court, Antetokounmpo did not attempt a shot and instead tried to run up the floor in transition while appearing to be crippled.
Antetokounmpo once more checked out of the game and returned to the locker room after Milwaukee committed a delay of game violation at the 8:33 mark of the second quarter.
He was then declared out for the remainder of the game by the Bucks. He simply wasn't moving [properly], according to Budenholzer. "He didn't appear confident or at ease. It seemed like the appropriate decision.
Antetokounmpo had a quad injury and had to leave the game early in the previous regular-season matchup between Milwaukee and Miami on February 24. He had only played six minutes of the opening period.
Even though Antetokounmpo has previously demonstrated the ability to recover quickly from injuries, Budenholzer said the team will need to decide the next course of action during the coming days.
The Bucks' net rating this season with Antetokounmpo on the court was plus-7.2, which would have been the best in the NBA. Without him, their net rating was minus-1.4, placing them between the Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic in 24th place.