Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo injured for rest of the 2021 NBA Playoffs
The only blight on the Milwaukee Bucks' dominance of the Miami Heat in their playoff matchup so far was seeing guard Donte DiVincenzo limp off the court on Thursday night.
After driving past Goran Dragic at the start of the second quarter in Game 3, DiVincenzo pulled up holding his left foot. He would leave the court and not return for the remainder of the game in which the Bucks ran out as comfortable victors, 113-84.
Milwaukee had some bad news regarding the extent of the 24-year-old's injury on Friday, stating that he would miss the rest of the playoffs.
What Donte DiVincenzo's injury means for the Milwaukee Bucks Championship hopes
The sidelining of Donte DiVincenzo will be a big blow for the Milwaukee Bucks. Losing any piece of depth could be crucial to a team pushing for their first title since 1971 and that has been built to compete. DiVincenzo has been a critical part of the Bucks' opening and closing lineups throughout the campaign, particularly with his pace and hustle on defense.
It is not the first time this has occurred in his career, and he missed most of his rookie year due to a left foot injury. However, DiVincenzo was able to play 66 games in each of the last two regular season campaigns and was having a career-year before the 2021 NBA Playoffs. He averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season and grabbed 1.1 steals. Therefore, replacing his output for the Bucks may not be so straightforward.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the choice of Bryn Forbes and Pat Connaughton to replace Donte DiVincenzo, with both likely sharing the role. Since they are in the luxury position of being 3-0 up in their series against the Heat, coach Budenholzer has some time to consider his options should they advance to a semifinal matchup, most likely with the Brooklyn Nets.
Forbes came in to replace Donte DiVincenzo in the third quarter and has been an offensive spark off the Milwaukee Bucks' bench all year. However, Connaughton has been utilized to close out games and has greater defensive energy and nous than Forbes.
This leaves the Bucks in a complex situation. Should they advance to face the Nets, either player will have to match up against the likes of James Harden or Kyrie Irving while Jrue Holiday picks up the other. That is no easy task and may suit Connaughton's defensive attributes better. We may also see veteran Jeff Teague have more involvement given his experience.