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The Milwaukee Bucks are bracing themselves for future NBA Playoff games, potentially without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a hyperextended left knee on Tuesday.
Should the two-time MVP miss one or more games, the rest of the Bucks will have to step up in his absence. The immediate concern is Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks. But the way Antetokounmpo suffered the injury looked like it’s the type that will put him out of commission for a few weeks.
The incident occurred in the third quarter of Game 4 on Tuesday with the Greek Freak trying to contest an alley-oop to the Atlanta Hawks’ Clint Capela. As the combatants were on their way down, their legs got tangled up and Antetokounmpo’s knee bent awkwardly, causing him to scream in pain.
The Milwaukee Bucks never recovered from the loss of their superstar and proceeded to get blown out by the Hawks.
What’s next for the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Based on how the first four games of the conference finals have gone so far, the Milwaukee Bucks are going to have an uphill battle without Giannis Antetokounmpo to anchor their offense and defense. In the first three games of the series, he was averaging 30.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks a game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field.
It’s going to take the combined might of several Bucks players to make up for that kind of production. Though it’s going to be a total team effort to approximate Antetokounmpo's nightly numbers, there are three players who absolutely must step up for the Milwaukee Bucks to win the 2021 Eastern Conference title.
#3 Bobby Portis
From among the players on the Milwaukee Bucks’ reserves, Bobby Portis is the one they rely on to provide instant offense for them. He was the Bucks’ leading scorer off the bench during the regular season at 11.4 points a game and averaged the second-most rebounds on the team at 7.1.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s likely absence for Game 5 and maybe beyond, Portis will have to take up some of the scoring and rebounding load that will be left behind.
The 26-year-old once scored 38 points against the Sixers back when he was still a member of the Bulls, and he will have to channel that type of mentality again for the duration of the series.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3 is down to the Big 2
#2 Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday will be counted on by the Milwaukee Bucks to do more than his usual share with Giannis Antetokounmpo likely sidelined for the foreseeable future. The 31-year-old played poorly during the first two rounds of the playoffs but has upped his game against Atlanta.
In the conference finals, he’s been averaging 20.0 points, 9.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three.
Unfortunately for Holiday, the Milwaukee Bucks will be asking for more from him from here on. He may need to score between 24 and 26 points on the regular before the series is over for them to have a chance at beating the Hawks.
#1 Khris Middleton
The single-most important player who needs to step up for the Milwaukee Bucks is none other than Khris Middleton. The nine-year veteran is one of the best mid-to long-range shooters in the league with a 3-point shooting average during the regular season of 41.4 percent. He consistently averages 20 points per game but he’s been somewhat of an enigma during these playoffs, particularly against the Hawks.
He’s only scored more than 20 points once in four games in the conference finals and that occurred in Game 3 when he erupted for 20 points in the third quarter, tying his playoff career-high of 38 for the game. Other than that, the Milwaukee Bucks forward had left the heavy lifting to his more celebrated teammate while he tallied only 15, 15 and 16 in the other three games.
For the Milwaukee Bucks to win Game 5 and any of the succeeding games in this series, Middleton will have to take on the persona of being “The Man” offensively. The quiet and unassuming two-time All-Star has to bring his A-game from tip-off to the final buzzer.
He can’t hide behind Antetokounmpo anymore and the spotlight will be on Middleton and his performances from here on. The Milwaukee Bucks still have a shot at winning the Eastern Conference Finals, but it all mostly depends on Middleton and what he does on the stage he’s on.
Guess the Lakers players!
