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Offseason | NBA Week 26

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss start of playoffs

Tue Apr 16 11:05am ET
Field Level Media

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
Luka Doncic Tue Apr 30 7:10pm

Dallas Mavericks guardLuka Doncic(knee) is listed as probable going into Wednesday's Game 5 matchup with the Clippers. Doncic has a sprained right knee after tweaking it in Game 4 on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old will likely suit up in a crucial Game 5 in LA. He has averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting only 38.6 percent from the field across the series' first four games.

Jalen Brunson Tue Apr 30 7:00pm

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (knee) has been upgraded from probable to available for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's ready to finish off the 76ers after being on the injury report with a right knee contusion. The Knicks star has posted 86 points and 23 assists across the last two games in the series, and he should be ready for another big performance in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. Tue Apr 30 7:00pm

Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) will play in Game 5 against the Knicks on Tuesday. He skipped the morning shootaround due to an illness, which raised some questions regarding his availability for the contest, but the team has officially listed him as available. Oubre Jr. has shot a fantastic 46.2 percent from deep in the playoffs, but his scoring average has dropped to 12.0 points. Across 35.5 minutes of action, he's also notched 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals.

Mitchell Robinson Tue Apr 30 6:50pm

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. The big man missed the previous game after hurting his surgically repaired left ankle. Robinson will continue to come off the bench behind Isaiah Hartenstein. He's averaged 20.0 minutes in the postseason, recording 3.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Hartenstein is the better option for DFS managers among the Knicks bigs. He's posted 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the 2024 playoffs.

Joel Embiid Tue Apr 30 6:50pm

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee, migraine) has officially cleared for action ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks. After being listed as questionable for the contest due to knee injury recovery, Embiid also missed the morning shootaround with a migraine. However, he's set to play as Philadelphia tries to fight off elimination on Tuesday. Embiid has racked up 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the series, but he has a pretty bad history in elimination games. It will be interesting to see how well he copes with the situation at Madison Square Garden.

Kristaps Porzingis Tue Apr 30 6:40pm

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics centerKristaps Porzingis(calf) is expected to miss several games due to a right soleus strain. With likely an extended absence for Porzingis, 37-year-old veteran center Al Horford should move into the Celtics starting lineup. Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will also see more minutes coming off the bench in Game 5 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Kawhi Leonard Tue Apr 30 6:20pm

Los Angeles Clippers forwardKawhi Leonard (knee) won't play in Game 5 against the Mavs on Wednesday, according to NBA writer Marc Stein. Leonard has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee for a while. In Game 2, he was on the court for 35 minutes. However, he logged only 25 minutes in Game 3. There is no timetable on when the 32-year-old will return, meaning James HardenandPaul Georgewill need to step it up for the Clippers in Game 5.

Terry Rozier Tue Apr 30 6:00pm

Miami Heat point guardTerry Rozier(neck) will remain absent for Game 5 against Boston on Wednesday. The former Celtic is struggling to overcome neck spasms and has already missed 10 consecutive contests. With Rozier's extended absense Tyler Herro will continue to lead the Heat's backcourt in Game 5 after posting 19 points, four rebounds and four assists in 44 minutes during Game 4 on Monday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. Tue Apr 30 5:10pm

Dallas Mavericks guard/forwardTim Hardaway Jr.(ankle) is ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 with the Clippers. The 32-year-old will miss his third consecutive contest after spraining his right ankle in Game 2 of the opening-round series. Before the ankle injury, Hardaway averaged just three points and two rebounds in the series. Dante Exum, and Josh Green will likely see more playing time in Hardaway's absence.

Bojan Bogdanovic Tue Apr 30 4:40pm

New York Knicks guard/forwardBojan Bogdanovic(ankle) will have season-ending surgeries on his left foot and left wrist, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The veteran sharpshooter has been playing withligament damage in his left wrist, but he suffered a left foot injury during his first minute in Game 4 on Sunday against the 76ers. He averaged 16.7 minutes in the series' first three games before lasting only 1:11 on Sunday. In Game 4, Precious AchiuwaandMiles McBride were effective in helping the Knicks win. They should continue to see an uptick in minutes, especially with Bogdanovic out.

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.