The Milwaukee Bucks have new players expected to make solid contribution, Bobby Portis has returned. However, they’re missing their main guy – Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Greek Freak will be out for a fourth straight game after not being with the team in the last two – against the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks – which they split.
The latest injury report for their Sunday home game against the Philadelphia 76ers says Antetokounmpo is out.
Antetokounmpo continues to be bothered by a left calf strain. He was supposed to play in the win against the Charlotte Hornets but was scratched off from the line up hours before because of the said injury.
The last three weeks have not been ideal for Milwaukee. They are 4-6 in their last 10, leading to their slip from the fourth place of the Eastern Conference.
This struggle is mostly attributed to the lack of personnel. Before Antetokounmpo’s injury concern, Portis missed six games due to the death of his grandmother.
They were 1-3 on the road and when they went back home, they just did not have enough gas to contain a young Memphis Grizzlies. The game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was an accepted loss based on the line-up presented.
Giannis Antetokounmpo should be careful with missing games
There are two problems when Antetokounmpo goes unavailable for the Bucks.
First, it is almost expected that the team will struggle as they will miss his 31.8 ppg and 12.2 rpg which are all team best.
Second, he is dangerously close to getting disqualified for season awards.
Locked on Bucks writer Frank Madden said this is Antetokounmpo’s 10th missed games out of the 51 they have played so far.
The NBA introduced last season what they call a 65-game rule which disqualifies players who were not able to play 18 of their games.
This means the Greek Freak is allowed to miss just seven more games in their last 31.
Antetokounmpo is consistent MVP contender since the start of the season. He is expected to bag another First-Team honors.
He and the Bucks can’t afford for him to miss game anymore, especially now that they are in a race to build consistency as the playoff nears.
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