Bucks Injury Report: Game 6 Return for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard Looks Plausible After Miraculous Win

After playing the majority of the series without Giannis Antetokounmpo, there can be a Buck sighting in Indiana soon—make it two. With the Indiana Pacers‘ scopes bent on eliminating them, the Milwaukee Bucks averted the crisis with a blowout 115-92 game at home. It is a one-of-a-kind sight, as the Bucks become the only team in NBA history to win a game without their top two scorers.

Now, as the highest-scoring team of the season plans to put up a valiant effort in Badger State, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are all set to make a return for Game 6 in Indiana. The news came directly from the Bucks-Pacers TNT telecast and is yet to be announced by the Bucks staff.

After posting a consecutive 30-point game, Damian Lillard twisted his knee in the opening quarter of Game 3 and went to the locker room. Even though he returned later in the game to post 28 points, he hurt his Achilles during the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He has missed games 4 and 5 since then. Game 5 specifically was a must-win game for the Bucks as the series so far then favored the Indiana Pacers (3-1). If the Bucks had failed to force a Game 6, this would have been a second consecutive first-round exit.

Interesting fact: The Milwaukee Bucks were able to hold the highest-scoring team this season under 100 for the second time in this series. This must have been sweet considering how they have had substantial losses against the Pacers even in the regular season (4-1).

Indiana led the first quarter (31-23) in Game 5. After a first-quarter advantage, the Pacers couldn’t really keep up. The Bucks dominated pretty much the rest of the game, hauling 30-17 in the second and 34-19 in the third to cruise into the final frame with a 20-point lead. In the absence of Lillard and Antetokoumpo, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis led the team to a best-of-seven series by contributing 29 points each.

Unlike Lillard, the absence report is longer in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case. The athletic center was initially said to be playing through an injury later in the season, which resulted in a left soleus strain. The injury occurred during the April 9 win over the Boston Celtics, as the Greek Freak struggled to run up the floor and took to the ground while tending to his calf. Since then, he missed the final three regulation games for the Bucks and is yet to set foot in a playoff game this campaign.

Doc Rivers backs up TNT’s speculation on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard

Before the Bucks entered Game 5 without their cornerstone stars, Doc Rivers claimed that Giannis Antetokounmpo was actively partaking in some shooting earlier the same day. However, there was no such upgrade in Lillard’s day-to-day activities.

Now, as his coaching heroics enable the Bucks to buy some time, the head coach addresses the questions around the chances of Giannis and Lillard seeing the floor in Game 6. “I don’t know how to answer that,” Rivers resonated his uncertainty. However, he then says, “I know I hope. I think they are very very very close.”

The Bucks are an automatic threat with Giannis and Lillard in their lineup. Lillard, despite his shooting struggles earlier in the season, has found his rhythm and touch through the initial three games he led the Bucks against the Pacers.

Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo is yet to face the Pacers with Doc Rivers on his side, he averages 42.2 points, 13 rebounds and 5.4 assists against them through the 5 games this season.