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“Any good team, you have to be able to play even without your best player” - Mike Budenholzer remains optimistic despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury

The Milwaukee Bucks are undaunted.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a back injury, and the Milwaukee Bucks bowed to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series on Sunday night.

With the loss, the Bucks surrendered the home-court advantage to the Heat, but the more significant concern is Giannis' return remains uncertain.

Suddenly, the odds are stacked against the top-seeded Bucks but don't expect them to give up just yet.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the Bucks have proven they can win games even without Giannis. 

Life without Giannis

Antetokounmpo missed several games in the regular season due to knee issues, and yet the Bucks still ended up with an NBA-best 58-24 going into the playoffs.

In the regular season, the Bucks went 11-8 in games that they played without Antetokounmpo.

"Any good team, you have to be able to play even without your best player," Budenholzer said shortly after their Game 1 loss.

Budenholzer said that even without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks can't be counted out.

"There's a lot of talent in the locker room, there's a lot of toughness, There's a lot of competitiveness," said Budenholzer.

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Giannis suffered a back contusion in the first quarter of the team's 130-117 loss in Game 1. He returned early in the second quarter but was immediately pulled out and never returned.

Still ready to compete

Heading to Game 2 on Wednesday still at the Fiserv Forum, the Bucks will compete with or without Giannis, Budenholzer said.

"No matter who's coming out on Wednesday, they'll be ready. Experience without Giannis is good for us to be able to play through," Budenholzer said.

With the possibility of Antetokounmpo missing games, a bigger responsibility now awaits Jrue Holiday and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton.

Holiday said it was tough for Giannis to go down with the injury, but they can't dwell on it but rather step up and fill the hole.

"We don't want him to be hurt, but it's still a next-man-up mentality," Holiday said.

Just like Budenholzer, Holiday believes that even without Giannis, the Bucks can still compete.

"We have enough talent on this team to cover for him until he comes back, so again, I just don't want to see him hurt because I know what it feels like, especially Game 1 of the playoffs," said Holiday, who finished with 16 points and 16 assists in Game 1.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.