The Bucks and Raptors will face one another on Monday night in a possible Eastern Conference Finals preview, but the MVP frontrunner won’t be taking part in the game. Milwaukee announced in this afternoon’s injury report that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t play against Toronto due to oral surgery.
It’s probably safe to assume the ailment wouldn’t sideline Antetokounmpo for an important playoff game, but with the Bucks and Raptors locked into the East’s Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, there’s no real need for the two teams to go all-out tonight.
It’s possible the Raptors will be without some of their key rotation players as well. Kyle Lowry (lower back soreness), Fred VanVleet (hyperextended right knee), and Serge Ibaka (right knee contusion) are all listed as questionable for the second end of a back-to-back set.
Here are a few more injury and availability updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets star James Harden will sit out on Tuesday vs. San Antonio for rest purposes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. However, Houston will get two other guards back this week, per Feigen, who says that Russell Westbrook (quad) will return on Tuesday and Eric Gordon (ankle) will play on Wednesday vs. Indiana. Each player will suit up for one of two games in the back-to-back set.
- The Pelicans have listed Jrue Holiday (right elbow contusion), Brandon Ingram (right knee soreness), and Zion Williamson (right knee soreness) as out for Tuesday’s game vs. Sacramento. Head coach Alvin Gentry said today that the three players are sitting out for “precautionary” reasons, per ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link). New Orleans was eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend.
- It’s not an injury, but Suns center Deandre Ayton didn’t start this afternoon’s game vs. Oklahoma City because he missed his scheduled COVID-19 test on Sunday, tweets Gina Mizell. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links), Ayton was re-tested on Monday morning and received clearance to rejoin the team, arriving late to the game against the Thunder.
Actually, the reason is that all his jerseys came in with, ANTETOKOUNMPO hopelessly misspelled !!
Don’t forget to floss, Giannis.
Based on the last score I saw (99-79 I believe) the rest of the team decided not to play either.
Having been unable to actually watch any bubble games, is there any hope mke will right the ship once the playoffs start or was the pre-hiatus record a hoax?
I would be concerned with Wesley Matthews leaving the game after just two minutes. But their chances of reaching the Finals are still much better than the Lakers who have a lot more to contend with in the West.
I have a feeling the Bucks will kick things up a notch or two once the playoffs start and their rotation drops to 8-9 players.
Houston will start resting players on Tuesday, Harden and Gordon. Then on Wednesday they will most likely be resting both Westbrook and House.
HOU players must be real old if they need more rest after not playing for 5 months!!!
Well, genius, Gordon and Westbrook are coming back from injury. Perhaps Houston wants to ensure they stay healthy. I don’t even like the Rockets but your bias is clouding your logic
It’s funny.. bucks are 2-4 in bubble.. clippers are 3-3 in bubble and lakers are 3-4.. but everyone is all over the lakers about them not gonna win the chip..lakers didn’t have a cream puff schedule.. they beat the clippers, jazz and nuggets.. lakers rested players and experimented with different lineups.. other teams did the same but laker hate is real..playoff lebron becomes 2 star players come playoff time..bradley will hurt defensively but I do like kuzma in starting 5.. team is big..
How dare Giannis sitting when his team has a game. Trade him to NY ASAP