By Michael Stendland | April 17, 2023
With every team now able to say they have dipped their toes in the water of the 2023 playoffs there are definitely some big takeaways from the opening weekend of game ones. The Bucks fall to the Miami Heat 130 – 117 as Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves after 11 minutes of play with a lower back injury. The Heat went off from 3 point land, shooting 60% while the Bucks were at a dismal 24.4%. Miami were led by Jimmy Butler’s 35 points and 11 assists. The Bucks are optimistic that Antetokounmpo will be available for Game 2, per Shams Charania, but the two-time MVP is also reportedly dealing with a ligament issue in his wrist.
Other teams were shocked in game 1 by their lower seed opponent one being the Memphis Grizzlies as they couldn’t hang onto the win against LeBron and the Lakers. Los Angeles ended up pulling away winning 128 – 112 with four different players each scoring over 20 points. The Lakers can not be a team that people forget about.
LeBron James has now played in 266 playoff games in his 20 year career while Memphis has played in 93 games in the last 20 years. The playoffs are a special time of year. Players can rise, teams can get hot. A pair of teams continue the round one action tonight, April 17th, with Brooklyn vs Philadelphia at 6:30pm and Golden State vs Sacramento at 9:00pm.
Michael Stensland is a Radio TV Film Major at UW-Oshkosh
