According to reports, the Milwaukee Bucks are going to be without cornerstone superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo when they kick off their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. It appears that the eight-time All-Star will not be able to recover from his lingering calf injury in time for Game 1, which has now cast doubt on his status for the rest of the series.
At this point, the Bucks have been left with no other choice but to prepare for Indiana under the assumption that Antetokounmpo will not be available.
Milwaukee Bucks News: Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miss Start of Pacers Series
ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Milwaukee expects not to have Antetokounmpo “for the start of their opening round series against the Indiana Pacers.” The report was open-ended and it did not reveal how much longer Giannis is expected to sit out because of his calf strain, as well as when the Bucks hope to get him back.
Woj did add, though, that the Bucks are optimistic that the former back-to-back MVP will return “sometime later in the series,” which again, is a statement that remains very much open for interpretation.
Either way, it seems certain that Milwaukee will be at a disadvantage against the Pacers, who incidentally, won four out of their five meetings against the Bucks in the regular season.
Khris Middleton Reacts to Giannis’ Injury
Khris Middleton is no stranger to injuries. In fact, he’s missed more than a few games this season dealing with multiple issues. This time around, however, it’s Middleton who’s healthy while his partner-in-crime is looking likely to watch the Pacers series from the sidelines.
Accordinf to Middleton, the Bucks have no other choice but to assume that they will be without Giannis:
“Until we know if he’s playing or not, we’re going to prepare like he’s not playing – simple as that,” Middleton said (h/t Bally Sports).
While this statement does sound encouraging in terms of Milwaukee’s next-man-up mentality, it does not bode well for Antetokounmpo’s chances of being ready to open the series on Sunday.
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