The Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks intense battle is well underway. Although Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t suit up, Damian Lillard seems to have taken charge of the crucial game tonight. Antetokounmpo has not taken the floor since the April 9 matchup vs the Boston Celtics. Next-day imaging showed that he suffered a strained calf.
Prior to the tip-off, coach Doc Rivers said that the two Bucks’ superstars would be game-time decisions. “Giannis is more doubtful than Damian, but both had great workouts today.” If Milwaukee lives to see another day, the chances of Antetokounmpo suiting up are looking more realistic. But in order for that to happen, ‘Dame-Time’ has to be off the charts this night.
Doc Rivers says both Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are still both game-time decisions
He said “Giannis is more doubtful than Damian, but both had great workouts today”
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) May 2, 2024
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The Pacers could have easily ended the season for the Bucks in Game 5. Lillard was also sidelined with a re-aggravated Achilles injury. But the combined stepping up of Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis Jr. allowed the ‘Cream City’ to extend their chance at advancing past the first round of the playoffs. Both Middleton and Portis had 29 points each to stave off elimination.
That was the first time in NBA playoff history for a team to escape unscathed without their top scorers. Then again, with the arrival of Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks looked even more poised to be a championship contender. With all the backstory surrounding the epic Damian Lillard trade, it was a given that the Bucks were planning to get their second ring under Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame’s first, this season.
So, for a title-ready team to step up to the occasion is something many would consider natural. Of course, it is unconventional, but it’s the NBA. These days, unconventional seems to be the league’s motto.
Giannis Antetokounmpo playoff stats
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The ‘Greek Freak’ has been a regular in the postseason bar two times. Well, three, if we consider this season. But their postseason isn’t technically over. So let us just hold that thought for now. Giannis Antetokounmpo has played 79 playoff games in his career. And he has averaged 26.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.
USA Today via Reuters
Eight seasons’ worth of playoff experience isn’t one to be easily dismissed. The last season was a shocking turn of events. The Miami Heat was a fiery competitor, and they got the best of the 2x MVP and his squad in the first-round playoffs. Despite Giannis throwing his best moves at them, the 8th-seeded Heat, who qualified via play-in, was determined to move ahead.
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Playing in just three games in the 2022-23 season, the NBA champion averaged 23.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He was 52.8% from the field and 0.0% from the three-point line. But in Antetokounmpo’s defense, he was injured in Game 1 by a lower back contusion. Although the series ran for five games, he missed two of them, before finally suiting up for Game 5. Despite not being fully healthy, he had 38 points for the night and had to admit defeat.
The Bucks seem to not want to repeat the same this time around. And with a star guard like Damian Lillard at hand, who is in better shape than Giannis Antetokounmpo apparently, Milwaukee wouldn’t have to, either. Hopefully, their efforts pay off tonight.
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