Late Saturday afternoon Lillard was officially considered doubtful to play in Game 4 with right Achilles tendinitis and Antetokounmpo is doubtful with the calf strain.
“We’re one game away from being an even series,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said earlier Saturday.
Here’s the latest on the three stars: Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update Antetokounmpo has been listed as doubtful to play in the first three games of the series but had been ruled out early before Games 2 and 3.
But, the coach allowed that having that early workout casts doubt on Antetokounmpo’s availability that same evening for Game 4.
Sunday’s game will be 19 days post-injury, and Game 5 on Tuesday in Milwaukee is three weeks.
It’s too dangerous to do that.” Before the calf strain, Antetokounmpo missed regular season games due to tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon and soreness in his left hamstring.
This is the second straight first-round playoff series in which Antetokounmpo has missed games.
Damian Lillard injury update Lillard quietly left the Bucks film session in a walking boot on his right foot to protect a strained Achilles tendon, which Rivers said left the all-star point guard’s availability in doubt for Game 4.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Milwaukee Bucks, who are now trailing 2-1 in their first-round playoff series, held a film session on Saturday instead of holding a formal practice. This was done in an attempt to gather their thoughts following their 121-118 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Damian Lillard twisted his knee and aggravated an Achilles tendon issue in Game 3, with star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo still recovering from a left calf strain sustained on April 9 and Khris Middleton spraining his right ankle in Game 2.
Due to right Achilles tendonitis, Lillard was officially deemed unlikely to play in Game 4, while Antetokounmpo was deemed unlikely due to a calf strain late on Saturday afternoon. Middleton was not listed on the initial injury report, which is good news.
The Bucks’ head coach Doc Rivers stated earlier on Saturday, “We’re one game away from being an even series.”. “When you think about it, after three games—because I did attend classes at Marquette—the series is as close as it can be. The remainder of that one is for you guys to figure out. Indeed, that is what we do. It’s playoff time. Things do occur. It goes without saying that you want to prevent injuries, but in the event that they do occur, you must simply sit out the affected player for one game until you determine that more players will be back. “.
The most recent information regarding the three stars is as follows:.
Injury update on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo has been listed as doubtful to play in the first three games of the series but had been ruled out early before Games 2 and 3. Rivers stated, “He’s working out (Sunday).” Despite not having had a chance to fully practice, the 29-year-old has been working on court matters for the past two weeks. He will make his move early, and we will then decide what to do. ****.
However, the coach acknowledged that Antetokounmpo’s availability for Game 4 that evening is in doubt given his early workout. It will be 19 days after the injury for Sunday’s game, and it will be three weeks for Game 5 in Milwaukee on Tuesday. But the exact extent of the muscle strain has not been made clear by the Bucks.
Although Rivers has always maintained that Antetokounmpo doesn’t require live practice sessions in order to play, the coach stated following Friday’s game that the 7-footer won’t be playing in any games and that he will only return “if he’s healthy.”. We won’t push anyone to return quickly. To do that would be too risky. “.
Antetokounmpo missed games during the regular season because of tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon and left hamstring soreness prior to the calf strain.
For the second time in a row, Antetokounmpo has missed games in this first-round playoff series. He was undercut in Game 1 of the previous season against Miami, which resulted in a back injury that kept him out of the game for the majority of it as well as all three Games. He made a comeback in Games 4 and 5.
In the 2020 first-round of the first-round “bubble” series, he missed most of Game 4 and all of Game 5 due to a sprained right ankle. He also missed Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 due to a left knee injury.
An update on Damian Lillard’s injuries.
With his right foot wrapped in a walking boot to protect his strained Achilles tendon, Lillard subtly left the Bucks’ practice. Rivers stated that this cast doubt on the all-star point guard’s availability for Game 4. On the tendon, Lillard did receive an MRI.
When asked about his availability, Rivers replied, “We don’t know yet.”. It doesn’t seem good, but we’re not sure yet. “.
During the regular season finale in Orlando on April 14, Lillard initially strained his Achilles, which resulted in him missing multiple practices during the “bye week” of April 15-20 while he healed.
Following the Friday game, he expressed his hope that he would be able to leave in less than 48 hours, before Sunday’s 6 p.m. M. CT alert.
After the game, Lillard stated, “That’s the plan.”. “After having a whole week to get it together, I think tonight was just so fresh, aggravating it even more, but I just wanted to be on the floor in case an opportunity presented itself or in any way I could help.”. We must simply get ahead of it tonight since it’s not something you want to play with. It’s one of those places on your body where there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot move if you are immobile. We therefore have a few days starting tonight to try to just get ahead of it, just to feel better, and prepare for Sunday. “.
Lillard scored 28 points in Game 3 despite obviously being hampered by a sore left knee and Achilles problem, going just 6-for-20 from the field. Lillard had tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1970 record for most points in his first two playoff games for the team with 69 points.
An update on Khris Middleton’s injuries.
Middleton, the three-time all-star, is the one expected to play in Game 4 of the Bucks’ four stars, according to Rivers, who also mentioned that Middleton’s injury was not related to his sprained right ankle.
Despite being a game-time decision on Friday, Middleton not only persevered despite the sprain but also tied Antetokounmpo (twice) for the fourth-best single-game scoring effort in Bucks playoff history by defeating the Pacers with a playoff career-high 42 points.
In a postseason game, only Antetokounmpo and Abdul-Jabbar have scored more.
Middleton recorded his second double-double of the series and his 14th postseason double-double in Milwaukee with an additional 10 rebounds.
A season-high 41 minutes were also played by him.
Bucks wing Pat Connaughton stated on Saturday, “For the record, them getting hurt does suck.”. “I believe it’s our innate competitiveness. We think we have some amazing players in our locker room, guys who can play and have a “next man up mentality.”. There are guys on our team who have clearly delivered in similar situations in the past, particularly during the postseason. ensuring that we rely on them. For some of them, the injuries they are dealing with are not talked about nearly as much, if at all. Just making sure we don’t let those things psychologically absolve us of responsibility. The postseason is underway.
“The entire series will be a war, but on Sunday, let’s try to win a battle and make sure we do it together and make sure we pick each other up with whatever it may be. Everyone is dealing with something, on our side and on their side. How do we fight through it? How do we find ways to win one game, win a battle? ****.
