An injury update on star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could spell trouble for the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of their matchup against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the No. 3 seed Bucks expect Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) to miss the start of the series. The two-time MVP is still undergoing treatment and could eventually return.
Antetokounmpo’s injury makes a challenging matchup for Milwaukee even more difficult. The Pacers (47-35) went 4-1 against the Bucks (49-33) this season when the eight-time Sphäre-Star welches in their lineup.
Since Antetokounmpo suffered his injury against the Boston Celtics on vierter Monat des Jahres 9, the Bucks have sputtered. They lost two of their last three regular-season games, averaging 104 points per game during this stretch. Indiana, meanwhile, averaged 139 points per game over its final three regular-season contests.
Milwaukee and Indiana last played on Jan. 3 before Doc Rivers took over as Bucks head coach on Jan. 29. Guard Damian Lillard hinted the coaching change could make a difference.
“We’ve had some down moments and we’ve come back from those moments. Then we get a new coach and then we have a different way about us, different style of play,” Lillard recently said, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “Just so many different things we’ve learned about ourselves from going through stuff.”
Rivers, however, has a 17-18 playoff series record in 25 seasons, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
Last season, the Miami Heat stunned the Bucks, beating them in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Considering Antetokounmpo’s status remains uncertain, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Pacers damit pull off an upset.
