The Milwaukee Bucks proved they were good enough to wrap up the Eastern Conference finals without their best player.
Now the Bucks face a quick turnaround before Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. It’s not known if that leaves Giannis Antetokounmpo sufficient time to recover from his hyperextended left knee that prevented him from playing in the final two games of the series against the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s just a day-to-day thing,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said after a 118-107 win over the Hawks gave Milwaukee a 4-2 series victory.
“We’ll update it when appropriate. The conversations between he and myself, it’s kind of private and we’ll see where he is each day.”
Budenholzer said he was impressed with the resiliency the Bucks showed in winning back-to-back games without Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP.
Khris Middleton, who stands with Antetokounmpo as the veteran leaders on the team, scored Milwaukee’s first 16 points of the second half and led the Bucks with 32. Jrue Holiday added 27 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and four steals.
Antetokounmpo remained on the Bucks’ bench and was so animated, sometimes moving onto the court as he communicated with his teammates, that Budenholzer said he feared the star might draw a technical foul.
