You know how they go to the facial close-up in the movies to signal a sudden change in plot? Some look of eye-widening surprise? Some painful cry for help?
They went to a close-up of Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo early in Sunday’s Game 1 against the Miami Heat. He wore a mask of pain. He didn’t get back onto the court. Giannis back against the Heat was the top story of this series.
Instead, Giannis’s back is now.
The Heat came out hard in Sunday’s 130-117 win, had their own injury to Tyler Herro’s broken hand to deal with and played with a force like they hadn’t previously this week in two, lackluster play-in games to reach these playoffs.
But let’s be serious: This was a game the Heat had to win to make it a series. No Giannis? No best-player-in-the-game over there? You had to take advantage of that and the Heat turned in their best shooting night of the season.
Herro, no doubt, was a big loss for the Heat. He dove for a loose ball in the second quarter, went to a corner doubled over in pain, still got a pass and had the innate sense to make a 3-point shot – and then doubled over in pain again. He was done.
But Herro is the third-best player on the Heat. Giannis is the best player in the league. His absence changed the noise in Milwaukee arena and expectation of the team with the best record in the league.
Will he be back for Game 2 on Wednesday? And how will he play if he returns? Will this be the kind of injury that doesn’t really go away?
Everything changed when Giannis drove hard toward the basket 10 minutes into the playoffs and ran smack into the Heat’s Kevin Love. It didn’t matter that the foul was called on Love. It mattered that Antetokounmpo twisted as he fell and landed hard on his back. He stayed on the floor in pain.
He eventually shot his foul shots, but that was it for him in the game. He tried to come back in the second quarter, but just as quickly went back to the trainer’s room. His day: Six points, three rebounds and one glaring absence.
Will he be back for Game 2 on Wednesday? And how will he play if he returns? Will this be the kind of injury that bedevils him?
All you know right now is this presented the Heat a glaring opportunity in Game 1 and maybe beyond. They look inspired from the start, too. Jimmy Butler was Playoff Jimmy again with 35 points. Love had the game of his Heat tenure with 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Heat struggled making 3-point shots this year. They made 15 of 25 on Sunday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had a smart plan, too. He had the ball hurried up the court for a shot before Milwaukee set up its defense. The Bucks are the fourth-rated defensive team in the league and regularly play 7-foot Brook Lopez, 6-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo and 6-10 Bobby Portis.
The Heat are the league’s lowest-scoring team and can’t match up to that size. So even before Antetokounmpo was hurt, Butler took a long pass for a lay-in; he took another one deep for a dunk; Kyle Lowery took the outlet pass and threw it to Caleb Martin, who had set up for a 3-point shot.
It worked, too. The Heat led 33-24 after the first quarter. Butler had 14 points. They kept that cushion through the second half. Bam Adebayo came alive with 22 points in a way he hadn’t this past week.
Entering Sunday, it was hard to draw a path for the Heat to win this series. Only four eighth seeds have beaten No. 1 seeds. It last happened in 2011. TNT’s Charles Barkley said before the game if there were no injuries a Milwaukee win would be, “quick and painless.”
All that changed Sunday when Antetokounmpo hit the floor. How much it changes moving ahead is to be seen. The Heat won’t have Herro back this series. Will Milwaukee get Antetokounmpo back?
All you know is the Heat were given an opportunity in Game 1 and they took it. Just as they needed to make this a series.
