Shortly before tipoff of Tuesday's Game 5 showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, The Athletic's Shams Charania confirmed that reigning regular-season Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo would miss the contest due to the sprained right ankle he aggravated during Game 4 on Sunday.
Charania suggested the Bucks never truly considered playing the 25-year-old despite trailing Miami 3-1 in the series:
Giannis Antetokounmpo‘ pregame warmup was entirely stationary. Bucks intend to protect him, and as much as the MVP wants to be on the floor, lack of mobility with the ankle makes playing difficult. https://t.co/cYHwGx0eve
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2020
Antetokounmpo first suffered the injury in Game 3 against Miami and then missed the second half of Milwaukee's win on Sunday:
The Bucks likely will have to notch more than a single victory over Miami without the Greek Freak in the lineup to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!