The Milwaukee Bucks are facing injuries to important players once again during the playoffs. This time, they have to contend with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
Milwaukee struggled against Indiana in the regular season, losing four out of five games, although they haven’t played against each other in over three months. The Bucks are likely to be without Giannis Antetokounmpo at the beginning of their first-round playoff series due to a strained left calf.
Antetokounmpo, who is 29 years old, was listed as doubtful for Game 1 on Sunday in the injury report released on Saturday.
Despite this, he had impressive performances against Indiana this season, averaging 42.2 points and 13 rebounds per game, including a record-setting 64 points in the Bucks’ one victory over the Pacers.
Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, who has been dealing with a sore adductor and Achilles tendon issue, will still play in Game 1. He noted that the team is familiar with playing short-handed, having experienced it before.
The Bucks have faced challenges with injuries to their top players – Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Khris Middleton – only being available for five out of their last 33 regular-season games. This partly explains their mixed performance under coach Doc Rivers, with a record of 17-19 after his arrival compared to 32-14 before.
