Giannis Antetokounmpo did individual work on the practice court Sunday afternoon, but his status for Game 4 remains unclear due to a back injury.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has given some insight into his two-time MVP’s status.
“I think the medical group, myself, [general manager] Jon [Horst], Giannis just have to feel like he’s in a place where he can play,” Budenholzer said.
“He always wants to make himself available, he does everything to make himself available. He wants to play, but I think there’s also a maturity for Giannis and an understanding and a growth that we just respect and I think he respects us.”
The Bucks star forward suffered a lower back contusion in the team’s 130-117 Game 1 loss to the Heat, where he played all of 11 minutes.
He was listed as questionable for Game 3 but before tip-off, Budenholzer said Giannis was “just not ready to go” and the Heat won comfortably by 22 points.
The 28-year-old is currently listed as questionable for Monday’s Game 4 in Miami and the Bucks are trailing 2-1 in the first round playoffs series.
“We’ll continue to monitor him,” Budenholzer said. “We’ll see how he feels from the session today and see how he wakes up tomorrow.”
It would certainly be handy for Antetokounmpo to be an inclusion as he is the Bucks’s best playmaker and the force and energy he brings into every game he plays is unmatched.
More to come.