Giannis Antetokounmpo And Ja Morant Suffer Injuries To Start NBA Playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies had rough starts to their playoff series against the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Their superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant suffered injuries that required them to exit their games, which both of their teams ended up losing.

Antetokounmpo went up for a basket with a little over four minutes left in the first quarter, collided with Kevin Love, and fell awkwardly on his back. The two-time MVP can be seen laying on the ground for a while before getting up. All seemed to be well for the Bucks when he returned to the game in the second quarter, but Giannis quickly exited for good before halftime. It is unclear whether he will be available for Game 2.

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For Morant, this was an unfortunately familiar injury, as he aggravated a lingering ailment in his right hand. The two-time All-Star went up for a basket with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, collided with Anthony Davis, and fell awkwardly. He could be seen clutching his right hand while making painful expressions on his face. The 2020 Rookie of the Year described his chances of playing in Game 2 as “in jeopardy,” ESPN reported.

These were not the only injuries suffered in these games. Anthony Davis injured his right shoulder in the first half of the Lakers matchup with the Grizzlies, claiming at one point that he could not feel his arm. The former Kentucky Wildcat would eventually return to the game after halftime, coming up big for the Lakers with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocks.

Miami Heat scoring sensation Tyler Herro broke the middle and ring fingers of his shooting hand and is set to miss the next four to six weeks for proper recovery, per reports from TNT. All four teams will take the court on Wednesday (April 19) for Game 2 of their respective series’. In the Heat’s case, they can take a 2-0 lead while the Bucks and Grizzlies will be looking to tie things up at one win a piece.

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