The 16-13 Milwaukee Bucks are taking on the 13-18 Chicago Bulls tonight in their final game against each other of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Milwaukee currently holds the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, but are just one game back of the fourth seeded Orlando Magic. Chicago, meanwhile, currently hold the 10th seed, the final play-in spot.
The Bucks are 6-4 in their last 10 games, not including their NBA Cup Finals win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was the last game that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard on the floor at the same time.
And it appears that they are going to have to wait a little bit longer to see both stars back on the court at the same time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Is OUT for the Milwaukee Bucks vs the Chicago Bulls
Unfortunately for the Bucks, they will play their third straight game without their two-time NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been ruled out with a non-COVID illness.
Giannis is OUT for the #Bucks; Dame is available pic.twitter.com/VIfRhrBBrG
— Robin Adams (@theotherRobin19) December 28, 2024
The Greek Freak is leading the NBA in scoring with 32.7 points per game, and is also averaging 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
Several Bucks players came down with a nasty illness, starting with Khris Middleton when Milwaukee traveled to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semi-finals and finals. The illness has also made its way around the state of Wisconsin.
Damian Lillard Will Return for the Milwaukee Bucks vs the Chicago Bulls
Fortunately for the Bucks, Lillard will return to the court after a four-game absence. He has been stricken with the same illness that is affecting Giannis, and to hear him tell it, the disease is not easy on the players.
“I’ve never been that sick before in my entire life,” he said after shootaround on Saturday. “I wasn’t throwing up, nothing. I just didn’t eat for two days. I didn’t eat at all. I didn’t get up, nothing. I was down. It was bad.
“Couple days ago, I tried to work out [the night before the Brooklyn game] because I wanted to play against Brooklyn, but I mean, the whole time I was working out, it just kept making me cough, coughing up s—. I got through the workout, but I couldn’t breathe good.
“So the last couple days, that’s all I’ve been doing. Just trying to work that stuff out and it’s still been like having me super winded, but I mean, I guess at some point, you just gotta get out there and burn it out. So, that’s what my plan is, at least.”
Lillard is averaging 25.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
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