SUMMARY
- Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered from a calf strain against the Celtics over a week ago.
- The Bucks ruled him out for their last three games of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has faced a multitude of trials this season especially with the Milwaukee Bucks only settling for third place in the Eastern Conference. It wasn’t the outcome most fans or experts were expecting, but based on the roster and coaching changes, the Bucks were bound to face a few setbacks. However, Giannis getting injured wasn’t on their cards when it happened against the Boston Celtics on April 9.
With 3:37 minutes left in the third quarter, the 2x MVP inbounded the ball to Damian Lillard and walked onto the floor when suddenly he went down grabbing his left calf. Eventually, the Bucks would rule him out and Giannis ended up limping his way into the locker room. Though the Bucks would win against the Celtics and Orlando Magic in the next game, they ended up losing Giannis and their final two games of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been receiving around-the-clock treatment
Based on how Giannis Antetokounmpo went down during the injury, the only sensible answer at that point was that he ruptured his Achilles. This would have kept him away from the court for the rest of the season leaving Lillard to carry the team. However, the Bucks eventually revealed that it was a calf strain. They had to rule him out for the Bucks’ final three games of the season to ensure he’s healthy to return in the playoffs.
ESPN Sources: The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing to be without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the start of their opening round series against the Indiana Pacers, but are hopeful treatment on his left calf strain will allow him to return sometime later in the series. pic.twitter.com/8p0wCiRSRl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2024
Unfortunately, NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Bucks are preparing to play without Giannis for a few games during the first round of the playoffs. In his report, Wojnarowski also revealed that the 2022 NBA Champion has been undergoing around-the-clock treatment to speed up the rehab process. However, the injury has not healed enough to clear him for on-court activity.
The Pacers won four out of five games against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks this season
With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined for their final three games of the season, the Bucks went 1-2. During one of their games against the Magic, Bobby Portis played with the starting lineup and scored 30 points while Lillard recorded 29 points for the win. However, Lillard was sidelined against OKC and didn’t play too well against the Magic in their last game.
Now, those losses ended up bringing them to the third seed with paired them against the Indiana Pacers. During the regular season, the Bucks and Pacers matched up five times (one In-Season Tournament game) and the latter won four times. Giannis had two of his best games against the Pacers this season, and one of them was a 64-point game. That game was the only time the Bucks won against the Pacers. Otherwise, Indiana has been able to tame the rest of the team from scoring.