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Contest Completed | NBA Week 26

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss start of playoffs

Tue Apr 16 11:05am ET
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Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the start of the first-round series between the Bucks and the Indiana Pacers with a left calf strain, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the final three games of the regular season after the two-time MVP exited the April 9 win over the Boston Celtics.

ESPN reported Antetokounmpo committed to around-the-clock treatment for the muscle strain but was doubtful for Game 1 in Milwaukee.

The Pacers are the No. 6 seed in the East and dominated the regular-season series with the third-seeded Bucks, going 4-1. In Milwaukee's lone win this season over Indiana on Dec. 13, Antetokounmpo scored 64 points with 14 rebounds and four steals to carry the Bucks to a 140-126 victory.


Without Antetokounmpo, the third-seeded Bucks lost the No. 2 spot in the East to the New York Knicks on the final day of the regular season.

Antetokounmpo, 29, played in 73 regular-season games and the eight-time All-Star averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on a career-best 61.1 percent shooting from the field.

Player Notes
Jalen Williams Tue Apr 30 10:20am

Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams had a fantastic all-around performance on Monday against New Orleans as the team completed a first-round sweep with a 97-89 road victory. Williams tied Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most points in the contest with 24, grabbed eight rebounds, and tallied four assists, two steals, and one block. The 23-year-old Santa Clara product has been hugely impressive in his first postseason campaign. He's averaging a team-high 1.8 steals and also sits among the Thunder leaders with 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.

Bam Adebayo Tue Apr 30 10:20am

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo racked up 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists Monday versus Boston, but his efforts weren't enough as a 102-88 loss sent Erik Spoelstra's team to the brink of elimination. Adebayo did the damage with 11-for-22 shooting. The Heat big man has gone for 20-plus points in all four games in the series, and he boasts two double-doubles, but Jimmy Butler (knee) is a huge loss to the team, and Miami needs to pull off something special to survive in Game 5 on Wednesday. Adebayo will enter the action averaging 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for the series. Strangely, he hasn't yet registered any defensive stats this postseason.

Derrick White Tue Apr 30 10:10am

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White led the charge in Monday's Game 4 against Miami, scoring a career-high 38 points in a 102-88 win. He nailed eight three-point bombs with 15 attempts and shot 15-for-26 overall. As usual, White also made himself useful defensively and produced Boston's only three blocks of the game. He wrapped up his line with four rebounds and three assists. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown generally grab the headlines in Boston, but White once again demonstrated how well this Celtics team is built. He's been effective throughout the series, averaging 21.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks with 47 percent shooting from downtown.

Jayson Tatum Tue Apr 30 10:10am

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot in Game 4 against Miami on Monday but still produced 20 points and posted his third double-double of the 2024 postseason by grabbing 11 rebounds. Tatum added five assists in a 102-88 win, shooting 5-for-14 from the field with a 2-for-6 effort from outside. He was able to reach the 20-point plateau thanks to perfect 8-for-8 free-throw shooting. The Boston superstar tweaked his left ankle with five minutes to go in the contest, although he had no trouble finishing the game. Tatum has suffered from streaky shooting in the 2024 playoffs, but the Celtics have still grabbed a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round series and will go out for the kill in Wednesday's Game 5.

Anthony Davis Tue Apr 30 10:00am

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a shoulder injury in Monday's Game 5 loss to Denver but was able to complete the game and logged 40 minutes. Davis was hurt late in the third quarter when he took a blow from behind to his left shoulder area by Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.. He sat out the final four minutes of the quarter before playing the entire fourth as the Lakers desperately tried to remain alive in the series. Davis had another strong outing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. The nine-time All-Star will be massively disappointed with the early playoff exit, but Davis had a lot of personal success in 2023-24. He played in a career-high 76 regular-season contests, setting his new record with 12.6 rebounds and averaging 24.7 points with 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks.

LeBron James Tue Apr 30 9:50am

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James refused to commit himself to the team for next season after suffering the earliest playoff exit of his career at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Monday. "I'm not going to answer that," James said when asked if he considered whether Monday's game could be his last with the Lakers. James, who went out in the first round for only the second time in his 21-year-career, also said he would eventually sit down with his agent, Rich Paul, and his family to evaluate "what's best for my career." The NBA's all-time leading scorer has a player option for next season worth $51.4 million. He has until June 29 to opt into the final year of his contract or become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 39 in December, James continued to post strong numbers in 2023-24, averaging 25.7 points with 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.

Nikola Jokic Tue Apr 30 9:40am

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was close to only the ninth 25-20-10 triple-double in NBA playoff history on Monday, finishing a 108-106 victory over the Lakers with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists. Jokic started the game slowly and had trouble handling the ball, ending up with seven turnovers, but he played a massive role in the team's success again and came very close to having his fifth postseason game with at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 dimes. He finished the contest with 12-for-21 shooting, missing four of five attempts from downtown. The Serbian superstar will now start preparing to battle the Timberwolves. Minnesota was the league's top defensive team during the regular season and has Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns to throw at Jokic, but he's averaged a 33-point triple-double in the matchup this term.

Jamal Murray Tue Apr 30 9:30am

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray shook off a calf injury to produce a game-winning performance in Monday's Game 5 against the Lakers. He led all scorers with 32 points, wrapping things up with a jumper four seconds from the end to make it 108-106 and win Denver the game and series. Murray shot 13-for-28 from the field and 5-for-10 from downtown en route to his highest-scoring performance of the series. He also contributed on the offensive end with seven assists and recorded three rebounds and one steal. Despite dealing with a calf strain, Murray logged 41 minutes of action. He will now get some much-needed rest, with the Nuggets' second-round series against Minnesota not starting until Saturday. Denver's star guard is averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in the postseason.

Jamal Murray Mon Apr 29 9:20pm

According to TNT's Allie LaForce, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (calf) will play on Monday night versus the Lakers. The 27-year-old was on the injury report because of a left calf strain. While the team is certainly glad to have him out there, he may not be fully healthy. However, Murray has an excellent chance to turn things around after his rough showing in Game 4, making him a viable DFS option for Game 5.

Kristaps Porzingis Mon Apr 29 9:20pm

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. The veteran suffered what the team called right calf tightness before the end of the first half, so he'd finish the night with seven points in 14 minutes. Fortunately, medical personnel don't suspect an Achilles injury. However, the ailment could be enough to keep Porzingis off the floor for Game 5, although it's still too early to speculate. But if he can't go, Al Horford should slide into the starting lineup, with Luke Kornet getting minutes behind him from off the bench.

Kristaps Porzingis Mon Apr 29 9:10pm

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is doubtful to return to Monday's playoff matchup with the Heat. Porzingis was having another rough shooting performance, going 1-for-5 from the field. But even worse, he injured his right calf before the end of the first half. The C's have Game 4 under control, so there's no urgency to bring Porzingis back to the floor. However, the real question now is if he'll be healthy enough to suit up for Game 5. If he can't, Al Horford will likely take over at the five, with Luke Kornet coming in for relief.

Patrick Beverley Mon Apr 29 7:50pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) is considered probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. He's expected to play through a right oblique muscle strain. The veteran entered the starting unit late in the regular season and has played well in the playoffs. Beverley averages 7.5 points in the series with 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals on 50 percent shooting from deep. However, the team needs even more from him offensively, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) likely to remain unavailable on Tuesday.

Khris Middleton Mon Apr 29 7:40pm

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is listed as probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. He injured his right ankle early in the series but has remained in the lineup and is expected to lead the charge again on Tuesday. Middleton is Milwaukee's top scoring option, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) sidelined, and he's had 51 efforts from the field across the last two games. Antetokounmpo and Lillard aren't expected to return on Tuesday, so another big effort is expected from Middleton, who's averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the series.

Damian Lillard Mon Apr 29 7:40pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard (Achilles) is considered doubtful for Tuesday's elimination game against the Pacers. He's set to miss a second consecutive contest after aggravating an Achilles injury in Game 3 of the first-round series. Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is also doubtful, meaning the Bucks are in huge trouble. Malik Beasley came into the starting unit for Lillard in Game 4 and produced a good 20-point performance with 4-for-7 shooting from deep, but the team was clearly beaten 126-113. Khris Middleton (ankle) and Brook Lopez also went for 20-plus points with Milwaukee's top guns sidelined.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Mon Apr 29 7:30pm

Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is doubtful for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. The Greek superstar has yet to feature this postseason due to a calf injury, and the doubtful tag makes it unlikely that he will be able to play on Tuesday, even with the team desperately needing him. Sitting in a 3-1 deficit in the series, the Bucks face elimination on Tuesday, but head coach Doc Rivers has indicated that Antetokounmpo won't play until he's 100 percent. Having also lost Damian Lillard (Achilles) to injury, the Bucks received a big 27-point effort from Brook Lopez in Game 4. Khris Middleton (ankle) also carries a heavy burden offensively.

Tyrese Haliburton Mon Apr 29 7:20pm

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) is on the injury report as questionable ahead of Game 5 against Milwaukee on Tuesday. Indiana's breakout star is dealing with lower back spasms and also picked up a late questionable tag ahead of Game 4. Haliburton ended up having his highest-scoring game of the series with 24 points on Sunday, so it appears as though the issue isn't very serious. T.J. McConnell would receive a larger workload if Haliburton needs to come out of the lineup. He's a nifty playmaker who averaged 10.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in a starting role during the regular season.

Bojan Bogdanovic Mon Apr 29 6:40pm

New York Knicks guard/forward Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle) won't be available for Tuesday's Game 5 against the 76ers. The veteran sniper was hurt in Sunday's Game 4 and has been ruled out with a left foot contusion. Bogdanovic averaged 16.7 minutes in the first three games of the series before lasting only 1:11 on Sunday. The second unit was led by Precious Achiuwa and Miles McBride in the contest, and the two should have a big part to play again on Tuesday after helping the Knicks grab a 3-1 series lead with effective performances.

Mitchell Robinson Mon Apr 29 6:40pm

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He could be out for a second consecutive contest after skipping Sunday's Game 4 due to an ankle sprain. Robinson warmed up for the game with the intention of playing, but he was ruled out ahead of tip-off after being initially being questionable. Precious Achiuwa saw extra action without Robinson and had a big role defensively in the game with four blocks. After playing him the entire fourth quarter in Game 4, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau could have an important role penciled in for Achiuwa again on Tuesday, even if Robinson is available.

Jalen Brunson Mon Apr 29 6:30pm

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (knee) is probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's on the injury report with a right knee contusion. Brunson battled through knee pain in Game 4, but it didn't appear to affect his performance, as the Knicks star posted a new franchise record for most points in a playoff game with 47. After initially struggling in the series, Brunson has recorded two big double-doubles, and we should see another spectacle from him as the series returns to Madison Square Garden.

Joel Embiid Mon Apr 29 6:20pm

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) has once again been listed as questionable on the injury report, with the team set to continue its first-round battle against the Knicks on Tuesday. Embiid, who continues to recover from a left knee injury, has so far played in all four games in the matchup, surpassing the 40-minute mark in back-to-back contests. He's posted 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals in the playoffs. The 2022-23 regular season MVP has previously struggled in elimination games in his career, notching only 22.0 points per game with 38.8 percent shooting.