The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Phoenix Suns in what is their first NBA finals action in 47 years but their chances of securing an underdog win are somewhat hinged on the possible return of talismanic talent Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 26-year-old Greek forward is crucial to the Bucks and whether he returns from his hyperextended knee is very much the talk of the town. Giannis has been immense in recent seasons with Milwaukee, picking up the NBA MVP award the last two years running and there’s no underestimating his importance to the team as a whole.
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It’s true that the Bucks saw off the Atlanta Hawks by winning two games without Antetokounmpo but there’s no doubt coach Mike Budenholzer needs the player back in order to give Milwaukee a shot of only a second ever NBA title.
On the matter of a possible early return to action Budenholzer appears reticent to discuss the issue, perhaps keen to take some of the focus away from his star player.
“We’ll update it when appropriate,” said Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, who had described Antetokounmpo’s injury as a “day-to-day” after the Bucks eliminated Atlanta on Saturday. “The conversations between he and myself, it’s kind of private and we’ll see where he is each day.”
In order to secure the victory over the Hawks both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday stepped up and made sure the Bucks pushed on through to the finals. The fact that Budenholzer could rely on the rest of his team to make up the shortfall from the injury is a good sign and comments from Holiday suggest a side that’s high on morale and very team focused.
“We have his back,” Holiday said. “I mean, Giannis is a one-of-a-kind guy. We obviously all see his basketball talent, but as a human being he’s one of a kind. … In my opinion, one of the biggest things we did the last two games was play for him, have his back and hold the fort while he was out with an injury.”
Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful to start the first game of the NBA finals series, which begins on July 6th, and this certainly gives the Suns an additional edge but no one should rule out Milwaukee.
It is worth noting that on the two occasions the Suns took on the Bucks in the regular season Phoenix picked up two wins, although both were by a single point. So there’s every chance that the series will run through to game six or seven, which in turn could improve the chances of Antetokounmpo getting to show what he’s capable of at the very pinnacle of the NBA season.
