The Milwaukee Bucks have been without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the last five games. The 29-year-old is struggling with a persistent calf injury. On April 9, Antetokounmpo injured his calf against the Celtics and left the game early. Milwaukee’s All-Star PF has already been ruled out for Game 3 of the first round against the Pacers.
This means Giannis will miss his sixth straight game and the series shifts to Indiana. Milwaukee won Game 1 at home, but then lost Game 2 to the Pacers. NBA insiders fear that Antetokounmpo may not be able to repeat this streak. That means Damian Lillard may have to force the team to win to have a chance at the second round.
When will Giannis Antetokounmpo return to the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Bucks have officially ruled out Giannis Antetokounmpo for Game 3 tonight against the Pacers and it’s also very unlikely he returns on Sunday.
There remain serious doubts as to whether Giannis will even return in this series. pic.twitter.com/9w17hhG0rg
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 26, 2024
During the 2023-24 regular season, Giannis Antetokounmpo played 73 games for the Bucks. Unfortunately, he suffered a calf injury three games before the end of the regular season. The eight-time All-Star was not on the field in the last five games. Tonight’s game against the Pacers will be his sixth straight game missed. Not ideal for the Bucks as they try to get out of the first round. Members of the media have questioned whether Giannis is healthy enough to return to the first round.
That’s why Milwaukee acquired Damian Lillard this offseason. He scored 35 points in a Game 1 win and another 34 in the Game 2 loss to the Pacers. Lillard will need this type of production in all series if the Bucks want to have a chance at winning. Antetokounmpo scored (30.4) points per game in the 2023-24 regular season and Milwaukee lacks that production in the 2024 playoffs. The Bucks don’t have a player who can make up for Antetokounmpo’s All-NBA production.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for today’s game.
—Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 26, 2024
On the road, the Pacers have a six-point lead in Game 3 to win. Milwaukee will need full team effort to share at least one of the next two games. They could live with the series ending in a 2-2 tie and returning to Milwaukee for Game 5. The Bucks need their role players to get stronger and have a bigger impact on the game. Khris Middleton is averaging under 20+ points per game in this series. Milwaukee simply needs Middleton as another consistent scorer to back up Damian Lillard. The game begins at 5:30 p.m. EST.