Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for in Game 2 vs. Miami Heat

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo bounce back for Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 vs. Heat?

The Bucks got the job done with Middleton hitting the game-winning shot and Jrue Holiday thriving in his Bucks playoff debut. All of that came in spite of the erratic Game 1 performance Giannis Antetokounmpo had against the Heat, despite having 26 points and 18 boards in nearly 45-and-a-half minutes of run in the overtime victory.

First things first, though, the Bucks have seemingly dodged a bullet with the elbow stinger that Antetokounmpo suffered midway through the fourth quarter and he surely needed some time to shake it out of his system. Antetokounmpo was not listed on the league’s most recent injury report going into Game 2.

To what extent Antetokounmpo will be limited by his apparent elbow stinger remains to be seen moving forward, but there’s no question that he will have to raise his game against the Heat’s defensive pressure. Trying to find how to crack the Heat’s wall is the biggest point of concern for Antetokounmpo, especially in the times he looks to drive from the top of the key in one-on-one situations.

Yet for as much as Antetokounmpo struggled in those situations, he certainly feasted in the minutes that Trevor Ariza matched up against him on the day. Antetokounmpo scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting (2-for-4 from the foul line) across the 20.4 partial possessions he and the veteran wing were matched up against one another.

It stands to reason that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will veer away from having Ariza as the primary defender on Antetokounmpo as much as possible as the game goes on. How Antetokounmpo will respond to any and all challenges that the Heat will bring towards him.

Game 2 of the Milwaukee Bucks’ series with the Miami Heat is slated to tip off at 6:30 p.m. CST and you can catch the action on TNT where it will be nationally televised or on Bally Sports Wisconsin for those living locally.