Athletic Eric Nehm reports that Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is still on the non-Covid suspect list“initial injury report.” on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers. The same illness excluded him from the last two matches. Also struggling with a back injury, he recorded four absences in a row.
Here’s Nehm’s tweet from today:
The Bucks provided their first injury report Tuesday during their game at Indiana.
Outside:
AJ Johnson, Chris Livingston, Tyler Smith (G League)Doubtful:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (non-Covid illness)Likely:
AJ Green (right calf injury)
Khris Middleton (bilateral ankle surgery)
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) December 30, 2024
However, there is good news for Bucks fans. According to update from Illustrated sports, the star returns to training on Monday. The article indicates that he should indeed play and that head coach Doc Rivers has no plans to limit his minutes.
Giannis also made a questionable note on his injury report for Saturday’s game against the Bulls before he was ruled out, but based on available information, it appears Rivers will have his two stars on the court together for the first time since the NBA Cup championship game.
A chance for the full-strength Bucks against a tired Pacers team
Indiana is in a bad spot against the Boston Celtics on the road with over 400 underdogs. It was a team effort for the Pacers, with all starters in double figures led by Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 31 points. Giannis’ return will be crucial to defend against power forward Pascal Siakam (19.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.4 APG). His size and agility will also support Milwaukee keep robust center Miles Turner (14.9 PPG, 39.2% 3PT) in transition.
And of course, the Bucks can’t wait to put him back at the center of their offense. Before his DNP streak, he was putting up another MVP-caliber stat line: 32.7/11.6/6.0 on 61.3% from the field. Nikola Jokić remains the clear favorite, but health is the only obstacle that prevents Giannis from giving the three-time winner a chance to fight for his money.
The game against Indiana will be the highlight Sixth Bucks in 11 days, but the ’16-17 Pacers will play the same game with two fewer days of rest. Moreover, they have already faced challenging opponents, two against Boston and one against Thunder. Their two “easy” games during that time were against the Kings and Warriors.
Milwaukee, on the other hand, played conference-leading Cleveland (27-4) on December 20, but has since faced opponents with a combined 27 games under five hundred: Chicago twice, as well as the Nets and Wizards.
However, Lillard and Giannis only appeared in one game separately, and the team went 2-3 with an overall record of 16-14. From a ponderous start, Indiana led 7-3.
Hopefully for the Bucks, reuniting their star duo will give them an advantage over a team that is hungover from upsetting their opponent after a challenging stretch of schedule.
Bucks-Pacers projected lineups for Tuesday
Passing Giannis on the court makes sense, but it’s also true that NBA lineups are known for habitual and very behind schedule cuts. Barring further media reports, the line provided by sportsbooks when the betting market opened for Tuesday’s games should suggest the current consensus on Antetokounmpo’s status.
Of course, fans and bettors should wait for updated reports as the day progresses to get a clearer picture of the situation.
The last time the two teams played each other on November 22, Giannis recorded a 37-point triple-double in a 129-117 victory, with the Bucks overcoming a -5.5 point differential. The Pacers were without guard Andrew Nembhard, with Khris Middleton filling in for Milwaukee.
Middleton (ankle) and AJ Green are listed as probable on Tuesday’s injury report. Pacers backup Obi Toppin is questionable with an ankle injury and missed both games against Boston. Currently, both starting lineups are expected to be at full strength at the start of the match.
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