Giannis Out for Game 1, Bucks Hope He Returns in Playoffs

The Milwaukee Bucks have been dealt a major blow with the news that their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf strain. While the team is hopeful he can return at some point during the series, the timeline remains uncertain.

Bucks president Peter Feigin confirmed to a local radio show that Antetokounmpo “will definitely not play in Sunday’s Game 1” but added “we expect Giannis to be back in the playoffs, not really sure when.”

However, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers provided a more ambiguous update on Friday. “I don’t know yet, no,” Rivers said when asked about Feigin’s comments. “We’re still hoping [he can play in Game 1] He hasn’t done anything. So would we throw him out there? Yeah, we would. But for us, it’s still we’re not sure.”

The two-time MVP suffered the calf strain late in the third quarter of Milwaukee’s win over the Boston Celtics on April 9th. He had inbounded the ball to Damian Lillard before collapsing and grabbing his lower left leg. While an MRI revealed no Achilles damage, it confirmed a calf strain that forced him to miss the final three games of the regular season.

“He was in the gym, walked through stuff but didn’t do anything live,” Rivers said of Antetokounmpo’s involvement in Friday’s practice.

The Bucks have managed relatively well without their star in the past, going 39-40 since he won his first MVP in 2018-19 when he misses games, including playoffs. However, they are just 4-5 this season without him.

Antetokounmpo had been battling nagging left leg issues like Achilles tendinitis and hamstring tendinopathy for months before this calf strain. “Calves, hamstrings, they’re shaky,” he said after a win over Philadelphia in March. “If you have a strain or whatever the case may be… you don’t mess with stuff like that.”

Yet the Bucks may have to risk bringing him back sooner than ideal. Their title defense last year ended in the second round without Khris Middleton, while Antetokounmpo’s back injury derailed them in the first round in 2022.

When healthy, Antetokounmpo was magnificent this season, averaging 30.4 points (2nd in the NBA), 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists while shooting 61.1% from the field. He was the only player to average 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists.

As they await his return, the Bucks must find a way to survive without their transcendent star against an Indiana team looking to pull off the series upset. Antetokounmpo’s health could very well decide Milwaukee’s championship chances once again.