All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo departed the club’s ongoing clash against the Boston Celtics, in a powerhouse matchup between the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. He was ruled out for the night mid-game, after incurring an ominous left calf injury, per Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Bucks say Giannis Antetokounmpo has a calf strain. He will not return tonight vs. Boston.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 10, 2024
Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports that, after the game, Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers revealed that Antetokounmpo departed during the game to have his calf undergo imaging and testing. According to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, Rivers catalogued the team’s concern level going forward as “high:”
Doc Rivers on the concern level with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s left calf injury:
“That’s a good question. High. But he’s Giannis. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We’re just going hope for the best.”
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 10, 2024
Even with Antetotokounmpo shelved late, the second-seeded Bucks still snagged a surprise victory over the top-seeded Celtics by double digits, 104-91. Combo guard Patrick Beverley, newly elevated to a starting role ahead of 75-game starting Malik Beasley (he’s a far better defender, even in his NBA dotage at age 35), led the way with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
Antetokounmpo finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor, eight rebounds, and seven assists in just 28:36. All-Star point guard Damian Lillard finished with an underwhelming 12 points, five assists and three rebounds. Center Brook Lopez notched 15 points and six rebounds, sixth man Bobby Portis logged a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double, and oft-injured starting swingman Khris Middleton scored 12 points, dished out nine dimes, and grabbed six boards of his own. Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum was Boston’s high scorer with 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the floor.
Milwaukee improves to a 48-31 record on the year, with three games left to play on its regular season slate. The Bucks also “drop” Boston to a still-great 62-17.
What’s truly critical for the club is preserving the East’s No. 2 seed. Milwaukee is 1.5 games ahead of the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks, the East’s third and fourth seeds at 46-32. If Antetokounmpo misses extended time, his supporting cast will need to step up more than it did tonight, especially Lillard. It’s unrealistic to expect Beverley to submit 20-10 double-doubles down the season’s home stretch.
Here’s footage of the injury via Hoop Central. Note that it’s non-contact, which is never ideal to see:
The eight-time All-Star, a two-time league MVP, 2021 Finals MVP and 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, is the engine by which the Bucks run. If he misses, say, extended time in the playoffs, it would be incredibly difficult for Milwaukee to advance very far, even in the early rounds of the postseason. In his 72 healthy games this year pre-injury tonight, the 6-foot-11 superstar had been averaging 30.7 points on 61.1% field goal shooting, 11.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists a night. That level of production is not going to be easy to piecemeal.
Uncommon Knowledge
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