🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 NBA fans, brace yourselves! Tyler Herro has broken his hand and Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with a back injury for Game 1 against the Heat 😱😱 What will this mean for the playoffs? Is this the chance for Miami to take down the Bucks? Click here to find out! 🔥🏀

 

During Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks versus Miami Heat matchup, Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a back injury and was ruled out before halftime. Likewise, Tyler Herro, the Heat's starting guard, broke his hand and was also ruled out at halftime. Antetokounmpo's injury occurred in the first quarter, following a hard fall after colliding with Kevin Love while driving to the basket. Love was charged with a blocking foul on the play.

Giannis with a scary fall 😳

Fortunately, he's ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QaShNkKoUi

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023

After shooting his free throws, Antetokounmpo attempted to keep playing despite his injury. However, he eventually had to leave the court during the second quarter. He did return briefly but was later ruled out before halftime due to a lower back contusion.

Giannis exits the floor for the second time since taking a hard fall. Not good 😐pic.twitter.com/rXYLyiVFkw

— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 16, 2023

In the first half of the game between the No. 8 seed Heat and the No. 1 seed Bucks, he scored six points and grabbed three rebounds in just 11 minutes of play. Despite the Bucks having the best record in the NBA entering the playoffs, the Heat led 68-55 at halftime.

However, Herro sustained a hand injury while diving for a loose ball in the final minute of the first half. He attempted to exit the court but ultimately stayed in the game and even took a shot. Herro was visibly in pain and eventually jogged to the locker room during halftime.

Tyler Herro was in pain after an apparent hand injury pic.twitter.com/k6OUQMt5JD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2023

Antetokounmpo is a key player for Milwaukee and a favorite for leading the team to the championship. He has impressive stats, averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 55.3% from the field this season. He was also named one of the three MVP finalists alongside Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.

It is uncertain whether he will continue to play in the series. If he is absent, Milwaukee will have to rely more on Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who are both multi-time All-Stars. Middleton was cleared for a full playoff workload after being sidelined and limited during the regular season with multiple injuries.

The Heat have a chance to challenge the Bucks for a playoff upset as they did in 2020 when they beat the top-seeded Bucks and made it to the NBA Finals. However, they also have their own injury concerns to worry about, particularly with Herro, who was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2022 and stepped into the starting lineup this season as Miami's third-leading scorer, averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 37.8% on eight 3-point attempts per game.