The Milwaukee Bucks are getting ready for the playoffs, but there’s uncertainty about the health of their top two players.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned that both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard didn’t practice on Tuesday. He said he wasn’t sure if either of them would practice during the week, but they could still play in Game 1 on Sunday without practicing much beforehand.
Antetokounmpo is recovering from a left calf strain, which kept him out of the Bucks’ last three regular-season games. He got injured during a game against the Boston Celtics on April 9. Rivers said Antetokounmpo is doing well, but isn’t ready to play yet.
Rivers didn’t want to guess if Antetokounmpo would play on Sunday. He said the medical team hasn’t made a decision yet, so he’ll wait and see.
Antetokounmpo has been impressive against the Indiana Pacers, averaging 42.2 points and 13 rebounds in the five regular-season games they played. In one game, he even scored 64 points, setting a Bucks record.
Lillard missed a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a sore left adductor.
He came back for the next game but didn’t shoot well. Rivers mentioned that Lillard is fine according to tests, but they want to give him more rest to be safe.
Bucks forward Bobby Portis believes Lillard will be ready for the series. He said it’s still early, and there’s time for Lillard to recover before the game on Sunday.
Dealing with injuries during the playoffs is something the Bucks are used to. Antetokounmpo has a history of recovering quickly from injuries, and a big example was during the Bucks’ championship win in 2021.
During the Eastern Conference finals that year, Antetokounmpo injured his left knee in Game 4 and couldn’t play the last two games against the Atlanta Hawks. However, he came back for the NBA Finals and played all the games. He even scored 50 points in the final game, helping the Bucks win the championship.
Injuries have been a problem for the Bucks in the last two playoffs.
Khris Middleton hurt his left knee during the first round of the 2022 playoffs against the Chicago Bulls. He missed the rest of the playoffs, including the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, which the Bucks lost 4-3.
