Already missing one wing (Grayson Allen) due to a right ankle sprain, the Bucks saw another key rotation player go down with the same injury on Tuesday, as Pat Connaughton sprained his right ankle.
Addressing the injury after Tuesday’s game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said the team is hopeful that it won’t keep Connaughton out of action for long, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link): “He twisted his right ankle. He’ll be doubtful for (Wednesday)’s game, but we’re hoping it’s not serious.”
The Bucks, who will host Chicago on Wednesday night, can secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with either one more win or one more Boston loss. So it’s very possible that Milwaukee will be able to use the last couple games of the season to rest banged-up players.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Bucks guard Jrue Holiday earned another $331K bonus on Tuesday when he appeared in his 66th game of the season, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Holiday received that bonus last season too, so it was considered likely – rather than unlikely – to be earned and his 2023/24 cap hit won’t be affected.
- The Bulls lost a big game on Tuesday vs. Atlanta, but they still clinched a play-in berth due to an Orlando loss, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Barring a late-season surge, Chicago appears likely to enter the play-in tournament as a No. 10 seed, meaning it would take two road wins to make the playoffs. “We’re happy at least that we’re going to be in that,” Nikola Vucevic said after Tuesday’s loss. “Obviously it hasn’t been the season so far we wanted. We were hoping to be higher in the standings, but it is what it is. It’ll give us an opportunity to get into the playoffs.”
- When the Cavaliers acquired Donovan Mitchell last offseason, J.B. Bickerstaff was told, “‘He’s gonna be really good all season, but just wait till April,'” the head coach said on Tuesday. As Kelsey Russo of The Athletic details, Mitchell is delivering on that promise, having scored at least 40 points in each of Cleveland’s last four games to help lock the team into the No. 4 seed. “When you have a guy who can carry you in the biggest of moments, it gives you a chance no matter what,” Bickerstaff said of the Cavs’ leading scorer, who is up to 28.3 PPG for the season.
I know Orlando is out, but did anyone seriously expect them to even get close at this point? They started rebuilding two years ago. Not even, really, they started it at the TD two years ago. Honestly, I’m impressed.
I’m really impressed with them too. I love their core and I think they can be a legitimate threat really soon.
Cleveland and Miami in the ECF. Mitchell should be MVP
You seem confident. Let’s wager on it? $20? I’d do $50.
Sure. I mean I already threw down $100 for Miami to get to the finals.
Okay $100 post your venmo. If ECF is Miami/Cleveland and Mitchell is MVP I’ll send you 100 and if it doesn’t hit you send me.
Whats up you in or what?
Yeahhhh thats kinda what I thought. More lazy trollin’ keep it up one day you can smell my feet hehe
Ankle sprain once again. It’s becoming predictable by now. Nike and Adidas printing money. Biggest mafia in sports…
Wow, it’s almost like the nonstop juking all over the place without moving your upper body is terrible for everything from the waist down. Seriously. Same reason injuries as a whole have risen; the game is just played too fast for the bodies of most players.