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The Milwaukee Bucks opened as -9 home favorite against the Miami Heat and this coming Wednesday (Game 2) they're listed at -6. The three point differential is a result of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving Game 1 in the second quarter with a lower back contusion. Miami went on to win that game 130-119.
The line might be even more favorable for the Heat had they not lost their star, Tyler Herro, to a broken right hand. In fact, we'd probably be looking at the Bucks barely being a favorite at home if Herro's status was different.
Herro crashed to the floor after he was unsuccessful in trying to chase down a loose ball during the final minute of the first half.
"He's not going to play the next game, and then we'll just figure it out," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro. "I got the same diagnosis that you all heard."
It's now been confirmed that Herro is expected to miss approximately 4-6 weeks.
"They had a guy go down also and they continued to compete and played well," Bucks forward Khris Middleton said after scoring 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting. "Same mindset we tried to have. It sucks when our guys go down and can't return, but we still got a job to do out there."
He added: "It's tough to go down 1-0 on your home court, but it's the playoffs, nothing is guaranteed," Middleton said. "We watch film, we realize what we did well, what we need to be better at, make our adjustments. And then come out here and fight.
"It's not a guaranteed win on [Wednesday] for us just because we lost tonight. That team over there has a lot of pride for how they compete. They earned a spot in the playoffs just like we did. We just have to go out there and prove it like they did to us tonight."
The news might not be so dire for Milwaukee as compared to the Heat. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters after the game that Antetokounmpo's X-ray came back "clear."
He is expected to be listed as "day-to-day". Fortunately for the Bucks, they have a few days to rest. The books, however, appear inclined to believe Giannis will sit out Wednesday's game.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
