Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) has been ruled out before Friday night's Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference's first-round playoff series.
Antetokounmpo, 29, has missed the first two games of the series. The eight-time starter has not played since straining his left calf against the Boston Celtics on April 9.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the sidelines for today's game,” the Buckeyes said on their official X account. The 11-year veteran missed Milwaukee's final three regular season games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the sidelines for today's game.
– Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 26, 2024
“He's getting close,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Thursday. “But I don't know what that means. I'm telling the truth. I saw him moving, in my mind, as if he was getting closer. Does that mean a day, four days? I'm not sure.”
In 73 games (all starts) of the regular season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, a career-high 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 61.1% from the field. and 65.7% in the dirty line.
Of course, in Milwaukee's 140-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 13, Antetokounmpo recorded a game-high 64 points on just 28 field goal attempts, the most points scored on fewer than 30 field goal attempts in a game in NBA history. . His 64 points were a franchise record as well.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) is out for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee is also now without Khris Middleton, who sprained his right ankle in Game 2 and did not practice Thursday.
According to Milwaukee's latest injury report, Antetokounmpo is still listed as questionable, while Middleton is still questionable for Friday's game at Indianapolis.
Middleton missed the Bucks' final 10 games in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament.
Last year, an injured back sidelined Antetokounmpo in Game 1 and caused him to miss the next two games in Milwaukee's series-opening loss to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.
Game 3. pic.twitter.com/bKC72wTcrO
– Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 26, 2024
The Bucks and Pacers are currently tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.
In the betting odds, Milwaukee is 1-6 in their last seven games and 2-5 in their last seven games against the Pacers. The Bucks are 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Indiana is 5-2 in their last seven games and 7-13 in their last 20 games played in April. The Pacers are also 5-0 in their last five home games, and the points total has been exceeded in six of the last seven contests.
NBA sportsbooks show the Bucks as 7-point underdogs in Indiana before Game 3. According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Pacers have a 58.9% chance of beating Milwaukee.
