Injury fears for Giannis, Morant as Lakers, Heat win NBA playoff series openers

LOS ANGELES: Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Memphis star guard Ja Morant suffered serious injuries that threatened to disrupt two title contenders on Sunday in NBA playoff series-opening defeats.

The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of Morant’s absence late in the fourth quarter for a late surge that produced a 128-112 victory at Memphis while the top-seeded host Bucks, who lost their Greek star in the first quarter, fell 130-117 to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.

But injury fears for Antetokounmpo and Morant, two of the NBA’s most electrifying stars, were amplified by upset home losses for their clubs in best-of-seven first round openers.

Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds a game this season for an NBA-best 58-24 Bucks squad while Morant averaged 26.2 points for a Grizzlies team that was 51-31.

Morant hurt his already-sore right hand midway into the fourth quarter trying to brace a hard landing to a high fall after contact while driving to the basket.

Morant’s taped right hand took the impact. Morant rose and ran off to the locker room, grabbing his sore hand and screaming as he exited after scoring 18 points.

“I’m in a good bit of pain,” Morant said after the game, declaring his status was “in jeopardy” for game two on Wednesday. “Feels like it’s one thing after another.”

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said after the game that x-rays on Morant’s right hand were negative but he would likely be kept out of workouts, his status “one game at a time.”

At Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo went onto the floor in the first quarter after defensive contact on a move to the hoop and suffered a lower back bruise that ended his night with game two in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

“We’ll monitor him,” said