Bucks Injury Report: ‘Tricky’ Update for Giannis Antetokounmpo & Damian Lillard-Less Milwaukee

With three back-to-back losses against the young Pacers squad, future is not looking too bright for the Milwaukee Bucks, in the first round series. During yesterday’s Game 4, the Bucks struggled miserably without their superstars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and went down 1-3. Now, back on their home court for tomorrow’s Game 5, the Bucks face elimination in front of their fans. But first, they received a ‘tricky’ update about their superstar duo’s health.

According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, there is looming doubt about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard being able to suit up for Tuesday’s game. Both superstars are facing tricky strains, which could lead to complications in their returns and create further risk of injury. So, their availability will likely depend on how Giannis and Dame feel before the game tomorrow.

After playing over 70 games in the regular season for the first time since 2018-19, Giannis has been out due to a calf strain for the last seven games. With that, shining more light on Giannis’ return, head coach Doc Rivers said, “He’s working out tomorrow. Going to go hard, early and then we’re going to make a decision.” However, Doc was not too certain about Giannis playing tomorrow, “I doubt it… But we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, his co-star, Damian Lillard missed yesterday’s Game dealing with an Achilles tendon strain, from the scary ankle injury he suffered during the first quarter of Game 3. As Lillard landed on the court after a layup attempt, Pascal Siakam stepped on his ankle, tweaking it severely. Miraculously, Lillard was able to finish the Game, even playing in overtime. But Rivers revealed that he was nothing more than a decoy toward the end of the game due to inability of moving after his ankle injury.

Will the Bucks season end in the first round, AGAIN?

Somehow, despite adding Damian Lillard to their roster, the Milwaukee Bucks are in the same situation that they were in last year. After tying the series at 1-1, the Bucks suffered three straight defeats in last year’s first round series against the eighth seeded Miami Heat. And coincidentally, Giannis missed a couple of games in that series as well, due to an injury. With that, the Bucks faced a ton of criticism as they got eliminated in the first-round despite being the top seed, and that led to them making major changes in the off-season.

From trading their defensive anchor Jrue Holiday to acquire Dame, to making a head coaching change in the middle of the season, the Bucks risked everything for a chance to win this year. However, fortune has not been in their favor so far. If Dame and Giannis are unable to play tomorrow, it will likely be their last game of the season, considering how well the Pacers have played in this series so far. Milwaukee had a 4-5 record when Giannis was out this season, and an abysmal 1-8 record when Dame did not play. So, with both superstars out, their chances of winning are pretty bleak.

Do you think the Bucks can somehow avoid elimination tomorrow and save themselves from getting humiliated for the second straight year?