The NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference semifinals took an interesting turn. The number one seed Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of an unprecedented sweep loss to the fifth seed Miami Heat. The Bucks were the championship favorites, and easy favorites to win the Eastern Conference. However, Jimmy Butler and company are here to ruin the party. Especially after the Bucks may have lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to an ankle injury.
The Bucks are down 3-0 to the Heat, who may be the dark-horse contender that goes to the Eastern finals. The Bucks will face massive criticism and most of it will be directed to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Despite winning Defensive Player of the Year and being the favorite for MVP, he has failed in yet another playoff run.
Game 4 will be crucial in establishing these team’s legacies. Milwaukee Bucks may be without their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle). The Miami Heat will miss Chris Silva (pelvis). However, Tyler Herro (hip) and Kelly Olynyk (knee) are game-time decisions.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo, listed as questionable for tomorrow with an ankle issue, was seen with a very noticeable limp today.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 5, 2020
NBA Playoffs: The Bucks post-season ends with a dark shadow?
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Giannis missing game four may be the decision-maker. While the Bucks are a well-rounded team, Giannis is easily the one that creates their success. However, this team may forever be looked at as regular-season contenders.
If Milwaukee loses this game, it may have repercussions on Giannis’s 2021 free-agency. This team may have gone as far as they could go. However, that also depends on how far Giannis can push them. Last year’s Eastern Finals appearance may have been the ceiling for this team.
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The Miami Heat have done something no one expected. While people were selecting them as the hardest team for the Bucks to beat, no one expected them to be on the verge of a sweep. These haven’t been fluke victories either, with the Heat winning most of their games convincingly. The Bucks genuinely look without an answer. However, with their entire future on the line, can they do it? Especially if Giannis is out?
No. Either way you slice it, you can tell the motivation of this team has been sapped. Mike Budenholzer’s playoff fallibilities are on display yet again. Giannis’s lack of aggression on the court has allowed Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler to eat him up. The Heat are on a roll, and their momentum should continue into an Eastern Conference Finals berth.