Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered an injury at the worst possible time. Antetokounmpo suffered a left calf strain on April 9 with the Milwaukee Bucks in the stretch run of the regular season. Antetokounmpo’s recovery is going to stretch into the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and it’s possible he could miss the entirety of his team’s first round series with the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo could miss 2-4 weeks with the injury, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. Don’t expect him in the lineup for the start of the first round series between the No. 3 seed Bucks and the No. 6 seed Pacers. It’s possible he doesn’t play at all.
Antetokounmpo was sidelined by injury in the first round of last year’s NBA Playoffs too. Giannis injured his back in Game 1 against the Miami Heat, and returned for Game 4 with his team down 2-1 in the series. The Heat were able to eliminate the Bucks, pulling the rare No. 8 over No. 1 seed upset to start their run to the 2023 NBA Finals.
According to reporting from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the team is planning for Antetokounmpo to miss the start of their opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but they are hoping he can return before the series is over:
ESPN Sources: The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing to be without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the start of their opening round series against the Indiana Pacers, but are hopeful treatment on his left calf strain will allow him to return sometime later in the series. pic.com/8p0wCiRSRl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2024
Previous: Late in the third quarter of a regular season game against the Boston Celtics Antetokounmpo started up the court after a Boston basket, when he suddenly crumpled to the floor. Trainers came out to tend to him, and he did not return to the game.
The team announced after the injury that an MRI revealed that Antetokounmpo suffered a left calf strain. He missed the final three games of the regular season, and “receive daily treatment and evaluation:”
MEDICAL UPDATE: Giannis Antetokounmpo left last night’s win vs. Boston in the third quarter with a left soleus (calf) injury.
Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI last night that confirmed the diagnosis of a left soleus (calf) strain. He will miss the remaining three games of the…
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 10, 2024
You can see the moment Antetokounmpo went down here:
As you can see from the above clip, Antetokounmpo immediately reached for his left calf. Trainers came out to tend to the Milwaukee star, and he remained on the floor for an extended period before behind helped to the locker room by Bucks teammates:
Giannis Antetokounmpo was down on the floor with no contact. He was headed upcourt and crumbled to the ground.
His teammates helped him off the floor and back to the locker room.
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 10, 2024
The team reported shortly thereafter that he had suffered a calf strain. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Antetokounmpo will undergo an MRI of that left calf to determine the extent of the injury:
Speaking with the media after the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers indicated that Antetokounmpo was already undergoing testing for the injury:
Bucks coach Doc Rivers tells reporters that Giannis Antetokounmpo is undergoing testing for his left calf, an MRI and that Antetokounmpo just left a little while ago to get it done.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 10, 2024
Rivers was likely speaking for all Bucks fans when he shared this after the game as well:
Doc Rivers on the concern level with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s left calf injury:
“That’s a good question. High. But he’s Giannis. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We’re just going hope for the best.”
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) April 10, 2024
Milwaukee won the game against Boston by a final score of 104-91. The Bucks have three games left on their regular-season schedule, including a pair of potentially-critical games against the Orlando Magic. Milwaukee currently leads Orlando by 1.5 games in the Eastern Conference for the No. 2 seed. While the No. 2 seed slated to play against a play-in winner, the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference is likely looking at an opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
The first of those two games against Orlando is Wednesday night in Milwaukee.