Just as they were in 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves a mere two wins away from a drought-breaking NBA Finals appearance.
Unlike that failed run, this time they face the prospect of advancing without their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup.
The Bucks announced Antetokounmpo escaped ligament damage in his gruesome hyperextension of his left knee during Game 4 in Atlanta, though he is listed as doubtful for Game 5, with his status for the rest of the postseason unknown.
Giannis underwent an MRI and subsequent examination today by team physician Dr. Carole Vetter of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network. The MRI confirmed the earlier diagnosis.https://t.co/6vyMEweLvn
Seemingly shell shocked by the injury during the third quarter of Game 4, the Bucks crumbled from that moment on, allowing Atlanta to tie the series at 2-2 in a blowout win.
The series now returns to Milwaukee, with the Bucks duo of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday expected to carry a significant load in the absence of Antetokounmpo.
“You don’t want to see anybody, especially your teammate get hurt, but you kind of have to shift to somebody has to step up,” Holiday said after the Game 4 loss.
“I’ve been around the game long enough to know guys are going to get hurt. You never want to see somebody get hurt, but again … somebody else has to turn up, and that’s kind of what it is.”
After a strong start to the series shooting the ball, Holiday managed just 25 points on 28 shots across Game 3 and 4, including a 2-for-10 mark from beyond the arc.
Those struggles were similarly felt in Game 4 by Middleton, who finished just 6-for-17 from the field and 0-for-7 from deep. Outside of his fourth quarter heroics in Game 3, Middleton is a brutal 4-for-29 from long range in the series.
“It will be great if [Giannis] plays, but if not we still have a capable team,” said Middleton.
“Every year you’re hoping all your guys stay healthy. We’ve already had one guy go down for the season, it’s a part of the game. A lot of it is being healthy, some of it is luck and it’s a part of being a great team.”
Playing without Antetokounmpo in the postseason is a familiar proposition for Middleton, with the MVP going down with a severe ankle sprain in the first round against Miami last season, forcing him out in the first half of Game 4. On that night, Middleton carried the Bucks to a win, finishing with 36 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Bucks were 6-5 with Antetokounmpo out of the lineup during the 2020-21 regular season, going 0-2 against playoff opponents with losses to the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
When looking at the numbers with Middleton and Holiday on the floor without Giannis, one side of the ball stands out from the other. Dominant on the defensive end for much of the postseason, the Bucks defence has cratered without the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year on the floor.
Overall, Milwaukee is giving up 104.3 points per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo on the floor in the postseason, while leaking 114.3 when he is on the bench.
Complicating matters further is the season-ending injury to starting guard Donte DiVincenzo, with the energetic defender a feature in the Bucks’ two most used lineups alongside Middleton and Holiday when Antetokounmpo was on the bench during the regular season. While the DiVincenzo injury has been overlooked by many, Milwaukee now finds itself down two starters in a disastrous blow at this time of the year.
Additionally, the Bucks offence has struggled in the playoffs without their star, as Milwaukee have shot an ice cold 30.6 percent from three across 15 playoff games, well down on its 38.9 percent mark from the regular season.
Middleton and Holiday are more than adequate creators in the halfcourt, capable of both scoring and facilitating to acquire good looks at the basket. But without the paint dominance of Antetokounmpo on the floor, the pair are going to have to find the range from the outside to help the Milwaukee offence come unglued.
Perhaps the biggest question that lingers for head coach Mike Budenholzer will be the rotation, with Milwaukee finding recent success with its preferred small ball lineup.
In 104 possessions this postseason, the lineup of Antetokounmpo, Middleton, Holiday, P.J. Tucker and Pat Connaughton is posting a whopping offensive rating of 135.6 while only giving up 105.8 down the other end.
Who starts for the Bucks without Giannis?
Possessions
Ortg
Drtg
Net
Core four with Connaughton
25
64.0
133.3
-69.3
Core four with Portis
12
91.7
100.0
-8.3
Much maligned in the past for not leaning on his stars enough, Budenholzer has essentially cut his rotation to seven men with a little bit of a Bryn Forbes heat check mixed in. Despite Connaughton and Portis playing key roles off the bench against Atlanta, the above table shows that Milwaukee is about to enter unchartered territory.
Ignore the advanced numbers, just simply focus on the total possessions. With Connaughton and Portis being the obvious options to replace Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are going to run out a lineup that has barely played together during the postseason.
While the Bucks have availability concerns of their own, the Hawks are in a similar boat with Trae Young (foot) and Clint Capela (eye) both listed as questionable for Game 5.
Young has torched the Bucks at times in the pick-and-roll this series, frequently taking advantage of a back-peddling Lopez to hit difficult midrange floaters. In fact, the Hawks have feasted in the midrange as a group this series, connecting on 57.1 percent of their 63 attempts.
Unlike earlier in the series, the Bucks won’t have the small ball safety blanket to ramp up the perimeter defence by switching at all positions.
In a postseason that has produced devastating injuries with cruel frequency, the fact a drought-breaking finals appearance hinges on the health of star players is no surprise. The Bucks have the individual talent to win this series, but losing Antetokounmpo has robbed them of arguably the most versatile defender in the league, and therein lies the problem.
If Middleton, Holiday and the Bucks finally find the range from the outside, it might be enough. If not, they’ll have to figure it out on the defensive end, which is easier said than done without Antetokounmpo.
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The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
