The Milwaukee Bucks are set to face the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of their first-round series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Friday night. Things are all tied up, as the teams split the first two games of the series in Milwaukee, with the Bucks taking Game 1 and the Pacers being victorious in Game 2.
In those first two games, the Bucks were without their best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has been dealing with a calf injury that was suffered on April 9th against the Boston Celtics and has yet to receive clearance to return to the court.
A normally fast healer, there was some hope that Antetokounmpo would be able to get in the lineup sooner rather than later. But, his return will not be occurring in Game 3, as The Greek Freak has been officially ruled out.
This is a brutal blow for a Bucks team who could also be without Khris Middleton. Middleton suffered a sprained right ankle in Game 2 and his status for Friday night’s contest is up in the air. He did not practice on Thursday, which was discouraging.
Playing without their star players all being healthy has unfortunately been a common theme for the Bucks this season. Over the final 35 games, the team has played, Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard all suited up only five times.
Injuries in the postseason aren’t anything new for the franchise either. In 2020, when the Bucks were eliminated by the Miami Heat, Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the last game and a half because of a sprained ankle.
Last season, Antetokounmpo missed two games against the Heat because of a back injury as Miami defeated them in the first round. Will they be able to avoid a repeat of getting upset in the first round in two straight seasons?
To avoid that, the Bucks are going to need a huge game from Lillard. Even if Middleton is able to play, he won’t be near 100 percent healthy. The Pacers have proven to be a difficult matchup for the Bucks regardless of who is in the lineup, winning five out of seven matchups to this point this season.
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