Giannis Antetokounmpo misses second half of Game 4 win vs. Heat [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Game 4 Final — The Bucks somehow pulled off a huge win over the Heat in game 4, 118-115 in overtime. Antetokounmpo missed the entire second half after injuring his ankle. Middleton stepped up with 36 points and Bledsoe flirted with a triple-double. Ultimately, the Heat struggled down the stretch and couldn’t finish Milwaukee off. So we go to Game 5 on Tuesday, when we’ll be looking to see if Giannis will be ready to play.

After the game, Giannis was spotted in a walking boot, per ESPN’s Malika Andrews.

UPDATE: Halftime — Giannis has been ruled out for the remainder of Game 4 after injuring his ankle in the second quarter. He has been diagnosed with a sprain and the Bucks will have to figure out a way to extend the series without him.

The Bucks are up 50-48 after outscoring the Heat 28-17 in the second quarter. Without Giannis, we’ll see a lot of Bledsoe, Middleton and Hill carrying the offense. Marvin Williams should start the second half at PF in place of Giannis.

UPDATE: Sept. 6, 4:20 p.m. — Well, this is bad news for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was just helped off the court after appearing to injure his ankle again. He left early on the second quarter but was forced to stay in the game to shoot his free throws. Giannis left after the free throws and is getting treatment. He’s gone back to the locker room.

UPDATE: Sept. 6, 3:12 p.m. — We have official confirmation from the Bucks that Giannis will be available to play.

UPDATE: Sept. 6, 2:53 p.m. — Antetokounmpo is planning on playing in Game 4 vs. the Heat this afternoon, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

UPDATE: Sept. 6, 2:14 p.m. — Giannis is considered a game-time decision for Game 4 this afternoon vs. the Heat.

I’d still be very surprised if Giannis doesn’t go, but this is a bit concerning. It may be a situation to take advantage of. If Antetokounmpo were to be out and you can get the Heat at +2 on most books, that’s HUGE value. Miami has every incentive to close this game out with or without Giannis on the court. Right now, the Heat are +1 on DraftKings Sportsbook after basically dominating three straight games. Even if Giannis plays, he can’t be 100% right? This game should also be pretty tight, so the O/U at 219.5 seems very high.

If Giannis does play, I liked him at Captain in Showdown. He isn’t going to be rolled out there like a decoy. If he’s playing I expect maximum effort from the MVP with the season on the line. With that said, you’d have to consider Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe if Giannis sits. Check out my picks here. These are assuming Giannis plays.

UPDATE: Sept. 5, 5:31 p.m. — Giannis is being listed as questionable to play in Game 4 vs. the Heat on Sunday, per the Saturday injury report. Antetokounmpo appeared to injure his ankle in the second half of Game 3. He said he was fine after the game despite a noticeable limp.

Milwaukee Bucks PF Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters he was fine during the fourth quarter of Game 3 vs. the Miami Heat on Friday. His ankle was bothering him after the 115-100 loss, with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes saying he saw Giannis ‘severely limping’ after Game 3. We’ll see if this puts his status for Game 4 with the season on the line in question.

No team has ever come back down 3-0 in the modern NBA era. So the Bucks aren’t looking like a good call to advance at this point. It would take a monumental collapse by the Heat for that to happen. If you’ve watched Miami the past two games, you know this is a dangerous team. Giannis’ status becoming a question mark puts more of a damper on Milwaukee, which had title aspirations as the No. 1 overall seed.

Giannis appeared to injure his ankle during the second half vs. the Heat on Friday. He stayed in the game after shaking it off. Clearly, it bothered him down the stretch and the Heat were able to pull away, outscoring Milwaukee 40-13 in the fourth quarter. Giannis is about to be named MVP for the season straight season and for the second straight season it’s looking like no title. You’ve got to start speculating about the future for Giannis in Milwaukee right? Or is it too early or am I just the worst, but I’m at least a little curious.

Antetokounmpo came close to a triple-double in the loss, scoring 21 points with 16 boards and 9 assists in 35 minutes. He’s averaging 28.6 points, 14.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists in seven playoff games. That’s a lot to replace. In the even that Giannis is sidelined for Game 4, Khris Middleton becomes a must-play in DFS. Really, the only downside to Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez is competitiveness of this game. Miami could come out and dominate a much weaker team without the soon-to-be MVP.

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