Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the rest of the common season, the crew introduced Wednesday, after an MRI confirmed a pressure of his left soleus (calf).
Antetokounmpo’s left Achilles tendon is totally intact, sources advised ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and his return to play will rely upon how rapidly his left calf pressure heals.
The Bucks issued an replace on Antetokounmpo’s standing earlier than their dwelling recreation with the Orlando Magic, which they received 117-99. The discharge mentioned he’ll “obtain day by day therapy and analysis” however did not make any predictions on his potential availability for the beginning of the playoffs.
The Bucks end the common season by visiting the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday and Orlando on Sunday. Their opening playoff recreation would happen both April 20 or April 21.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned the crew didn’t have a timeline for Antetokounmpo’s return. Rivers was requested if he expects Antetokounmpo to be prepared for the playoffs.
“Yeah, I am hoping,” Rivers mentioned throughout his pregame media availability Wednesday. “I do not know. I am simply hoping.”
Rivers mentioned it was unlikely that Antetokounmpo travels with the Bucks for his or her ultimate highway journey.
Antetokounmpo exited Tuesday evening’s win over the Boston Celtics within the third quarter after crumpling to the ground whereas grabbing at his left leg. The 2-time MVP’s teammates helped carry him off the court docket and towards the locker room.
After receiving phrase the noncontact damage was to not Antetokounmpo’s Achilles tendon, Rivers acknowledged that he and the group have been respiration a sigh of reduction.
Antetokounmpo finishes the common season having averaged 30.4 factors on a career-best 61% capturing to go together with 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists, additionally a profession greatest, in 73 video games. He’s the primary participant in NBA historical past to common 30 factors per recreation on 60% capturing, in line with analysis by ESPN Stats & Data.
“You understand Giannis, he isn’t completely satisfied,” Rivers mentioned about Antetokounmpo’s temper. “Giannis desires to play each evening, each minute. He hates popping out of video games.”
Along with Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee additionally was lacking Khris Middleton because the crew displays his workload after a sprained left ankle prompted him to sit down out 16 straight video games this season.
“We’re a deep crew,” Damian Lillard mentioned. “Clearly Giannis is the pinnacle of the snake. When he is on the market, we’re at our greatest. However we have quite a lot of guys in our locker room. We have got vets, and I feel tonight, we understood what the mission was. We knew that we have been going to be a few guys down — Giannis and Khris. We knew how we needed to play. We knew what sort of power we wanted to have. I believed we got here out and performed that method from the beginning.”
Milwaukee (49-31) is 1½ video games forward of New York (47-32) and two video games forward of Cleveland (47-33) within the race for the Jap Convention’s No. 2 playoff seed behind the Boston Celtics, who have already got clinched the NBA’s greatest regular-season report.
The Bucks are 45-38 this season when Antetokounmpo performs, in comparison with 4-3 when he sits.
“You continue to obtained to play basketball,” Rivers mentioned. “Guys must play and also you simply hope that they will keep wholesome. We have not had nice luck in that regard; we all know that. There are issues that we have now to be good about as effectively.”
Data from The Related Press was included on this report.
