The #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks are struggling to keep up with the #8 seed Miami Heat. The Bucks are trailing the Heat 1-3 and are just one more loss away from getting kicked out of the playoffs altogether. To make matters worse, Bucks’ star player Giannis Antetokounmpo had to be sidelined for two straight games after he sustained a back injury during Game 1. While the Greek Freak was back on the court for Game 4, the Game 1 incident triggered a “painful” memory for a particular NBA star.

With their backs against the wall, the Bucks will need to pull off a major feat to keep their hopes of a second championship in three years alive. However, Antetokounmpo’s current status might make it a difficult task to accomplish.

Mavs star makes a shocking admission

It was the year 2021 and the NBA world watched as Milwaukee fans erupted in cheers after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns to win their first championship after five decades. However, it seems like the outcome of the 2021 season would have been completely different had Kyrie Irving not sustained an ankle sprain in Game 4 of the Conference Semi-Finals. At least, that’s what the former Brooklyn Nets star believes.

A Twitter account named BKN 85 recently reshared a clip of Giannis getting injured during Game 1. The user also attached a picture from the 2021 playoffs, where Irving had gotten injured. The caption read, “Now you know how we feel”.

Soon enough, the Mavs star himself responded to the tweet with quite a controversial take on the Nets vs Bucks matchup from a couple of years back. He wrote, “One of the most disappointing and painful moments of career. If I don?t get hurt that series, every single one of us on that Brooklyn team/bandwagon would be Champions. No f***ing doubt about it. H?l?”

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While Irving’s statement is just a case of ‘what if’, one could say that the Nets arguably would have had a better chance if the incident hadn’t taken place. One of the best matchups in recent postseason history, the Bucks eventually won that series in 7 games after a dramatic finish in Game 7.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned for Game 4

While the 2021 NBA champion rejoined his teammates on Monday night, he reportedly still has difficulties with his back injury. Shams Charania of The Athletic shared that Giannis had to take IV fluids after he spent 38 minutes on the court. Despite the physical issues, the seven-time All-Star managed to record a triple-double in the Game 4 loss. He dropped 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Heat.

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On the other hand, Heat forward Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 56 points and led his team to a 119-114 victory. Miami will be hoping to close the series out in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Will the Bucks manage to extend the series or will we see a historic upset of the team with the NBA’s best record? Let us know your predictions in the comments.