Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Update: Is Bucks’ 2x MVP Playing Tonight vs Anthony Davis & Co?

Fresh off a high 118-93 win against the OKC Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks are back home at Fiserv Forum for another big game. They face Anthony Davis and Co. on Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo went off with 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 assists while Khris Middleton wasn’t far behind, chipping in a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists to seal the deal for Milwaukee against the game with the Thunders. Will these two Milwaukee guns be suiting up for tonight’s showdown with the LA Lakers?

The injury report is out for the Bucks, and it’s not looking ideal. Both Giannis and Khris have been listed as “probable”, Giannis on account of left hamstring tendinopathy, while Khris has a left ankle sprain. MarJon Beauchamp has been listed as “questionable” while Livingston, Galloway, Rollins, and Washington have all been ruled out for the face-off with the Lakers.

The situation in LA is much different from the Bucks. The Lakers have to fight to cull out their place in the playoffs. They haven’t even secured a spot in the Play-In Tournament yet. They’re holding on to a 2.5-game lead over the Golden State Warriors in 10th place with dear life. This matchup will be the last time these two teams will clash this season.

LeBron James was absent during their last showdown with the Bucks at Crypto.com Arena back in March. Interestingly, despite his absence and even a major pull-up from Giannis (34 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists) and Damian Lillard (28 points, 12 assists), the Lakers emerged victorious by a one-point owing to the stellar performance from D’Angelo Russell who bagged a staggering 44 points.

James has been listed as “doubtful” due to ankle soreness. The Lakers’ injury woes go beyond King James. Colin Castleton is “out” along with Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Christian Wood while front-runner Anthony Davis has been listed as “probable.” This would be an ideal opportunity for the “Greek Freak” to strike now that the iron is hot, or rather, injured. How has he fared against the Lakers so far?

Giannis Antetokounmpo Stats vs Lakers

When you google Giannis Antetokounmpo’s overall performance against the Lakers, you will get the following stats: 28.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 20 games versus the Lakers in his career. The “Greek Freak” has been outdoing himself whenever he has a showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s been single-handedly leading the Bucks to victory many times, be it 2019 (by scoring 50 points alone), 2021 (with 47 points), 22(with 44 points and 15 rebounds as the Bucks won their 4th straight game in February of that year), and then again, in 2023 (the Bucks won their 9th straight game, with Giannis’ 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists).

It has been phenomenal. Throughout his career, he has been a force to be reckoned with, with him stating how he is just trying to be better, day by day. “Take it day by day, game by game, and just get myself ready in games that matter the most.

This season alone, Giannis has made 11.4 shots per game, adding to 24.4% of his entire team’s total. Even though the Lakers have the fastest offensive against the Bucks, raking 7th, the Bucks still manage to average 102.8 per game against LA. Antentekounmpo has been averaging 34 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists as of March 2024. He is going berserk and unhinged against Los Angeles. And then again, all through the 66 games he has played this season, his point total has been over 29.5 at least 40 times.

Giannis isn’t going to stay silent. If he plays, he will make a major impact for the Bucks as they go ahead and square off against the Purple and Gold on Tuesday. Stay tuned to find out what’s the latest dish in the NBA world.

Read More: Cornerstone Shift in Milwaukee? Damian Lillard Shines As Bucks’ New Force, Raising Doubts on Giannis’ Dominance