Why Isn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo Playing Tonight vs Pacers in Game 1? Doc Rivers Reveals Current Status of 2x MVP

About two hours before the tip-off at Fiserv Forum, Doc Rivers confirmed that Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t going to suit up for Game 1. The Milwaukee Bucks are facing Tyrese Haliburton & Co. and so far, look right on track. However, the NBA champion hasn’t taken the floor since April 9, sidelined for the last three of the Bucks’ regular season games. After being diagnosed with a strained calf, he was often seen sitting courtside with a brace on his leg. It was understood that the team was practicing with Antetokounmpo’s absence in mind.

Given how there isn’t exactly a specific timeline for his return, Rivers and his squad will continue the same. Sitting down for a pre-game presser, Doc gave the updates on the ‘Greek Freak’ and his condition during practice. “He got some shooting in yesterday. He’s moving on the floor, so he looks better for sure.” Well, the Bucks are hoping to see his return sooner rather than later. But it’s clear that they aren’t putting their superstar on the floor without a complete green signal from the medical team.

The regular season record of the Milwaukee-Indiana series is 1-4. Despite not being there for this one and the disappointing record, Antetokounmpo still wreaked enough havoc amidst the Pacers. In the five games of the season, he averaged 42.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Not to mention, the wild 64-point franchise record in Milwaukee’s only win.

Of course, we all know that wasn’t the only reason that matchup was wild! So, if the Pacers had hoped for an erratic team without Giannis, they surely didn’t take into account ‘Dame-Time’.

Giannis Antetokounmpo might be out, but Damian Lillard is very much in

Lillard was like a madman in the first half. He was dropping points helter-skelter to finish with 35. And the best part? He scored them in just the first half! That seemed to have woken up a sluggish Indiana, as they did a brilliant job of keeping Dame scoreless in the second half. But the damage was done and Milwaukee moved to a 109-94 victory to start the playoffs.

The remarkable nature of Lillard’s scoring was detailed by sports anchor Scott Grodsky (CBS58 News). “Damian Lillard (35) scored more points in the first half than Jrue Holiday (33) and Eric Bledsoe (27) had in any playoff game with the Bucks.”

Aside from Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis Jr., and Brook Lopez scored in double digits en route to the Game 1 win. Among the above three, both Middleton and Portis ended the night with a double-double. No. 9 had 15 points and 11 rebounds while No. 22 finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the second leading scorer in the team.

As for Indiana, Pascal Siakam had a game-high double-double; 36 points and 13 rebounds. And while they managed to get the engine running in the second half, getting the most points in the third quarter (29-14), Haliburton was pretty much a no-show tonight. And the team suffered because of it.

They still have six chances, provided the Bucks don’t overpower them in the next three games. Their best bet is in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Because he won’t be the same guy they saw in the regular season. Hopefully, Tyrese can get back to his usual self before the 2x MVP makes his big return.