As expected, Bucks stars Damian Lillard (right Achilles) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf) have been ruled out Sunday’s Game 4 in Indiana, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Both players had previously been listed as doubtful.
Lillard has been dealing with pain in his Achilles tendon for a few weeks. Although he said he was feeling much better entering the playoffs, he aggravated the injury in Friday’s Game 3, which Milwaukee lost in overtime.
Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since April 9 due to a left soleus strain, which is one of the muscles in the calf. The two-time MVP had another incredible regular season in 2023/24, averaging 30.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG while shooting a career-high 61.1% from the field in 73 games (35.2 MPG), but has been injured in the playoffs for the second straight year.
As Nehm writes in a full story for The Athletic, the Bucks are approaching tonight’s Game 4 with a “next-man-up mentality.”
“I think for us, it’s our competitive nature,” wing Pat Connaughton said. “We believe we have a locker room of great players and we have guys that can have a ‘next-man-up mentality’ and can play. We have guys who have been situations and obviously delivered in the past, especially in the postseason. So making sure we lean on them.
“Just making sure that we don’t let those things mentally let us off the hook. It’s the playoffs. Everyone’s dealing with something, on our side, on their side, how do we fight through it? How do we find ways to win one game, win a battle? Overall, the series will be the war, but try to win a battle on Sunday and make sure we do it together and make sure we pick each other up with whatever it might be.”
Milwaukee currently trails the first-round series with Indiana 1-2.
Bucks have a problem
Can I still blame Doc Rivers for the bucks unsuccessful playoff run this year?
Blame the guy who fired the original coach and hired Doc
…And there goes the Bucks’ season.
I don’t think this team was getting to the 2nd round even if everyone was healthy. Indiana had their number in the regular season, and game 1 was fools gold.
Pacers are about to get swept in the second round. You think with a healthy Khris, Giannis, and Dame the Pacers would have won a 7-game series??? You know the regular season doesn’t matter in the NBA right? You’re like Nesmith out there flexing because he held an old, injured Khris Middleton to 42 points.
Ah yes, the old “regular season doesn’t matter” line.
You know what else doesn’t matter? Predicting the team you lose a playoff series to will lose their next series. Or them actually losing said series, while the team they previously beat is on vacation.
And yeah, I do think even with everyone healthy the Bucks lose this series. What possible evidence do you have to make me believe otherwise..oh yeah, cuz the regular season doesn’t matter.
What evidence??? Could it be that the Bucks fired their terrible head coach that couldn’t run an NBA defensive scheme? They had one of the worst defenses in the league that went to Top 10 not long after.
Could it be that Middleton has had a long stretch of consistent minutes for the first time in two years?
Could it be that Dame and Giannis have had enough time now to figure out how to play together?
The Pacers and Bucks haven’t played in the regular season since like New Years. A lot has changed since then, including injuries to all their best players. If Giannis was fully healthy, Haliburton would have stayed in Wisconsin at his mom’s house. Bro has been scared out there to shoot the ball when he has no reason to. He was getting locked up by post-retirement Pat Bev until that game winning layup in Game 3.
Ok, now we’re using cherry picked information from the regular season..that doesn’t matter..to prove that if healthy, the Bucks would win this series.
I’m convinced.
And I’m not convinced the Pacers will win a championship in my lifetime. If Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Chris Mullin, Dale Davis, and Larry Bird can’t win, they never will.
I’m also not convinced anyone actually wants to visit Indianapolis either, let alone live there. There’s a reason they lost the Scouting Combine and Big Ten Championship game, because people got sick of going to Indianapolis because it sucks. I’ve been there many, many times for group events. I live in Chicago, I know a lot of people who have been there. My sister went to school in the city. I’ve asked dozens of people what they think of the city. They all said “it’s boring”, just like the Pacers history of winning.
My family has traveled to every state in the Union, every major City in the USA, and Indianapolis is the most boring place we have been to.
I’ve asked people “what is the hardest drive you’ve ever done”, and without fail, they say “driving through Indiana”, it’s the most boring drive in the country. Indiana’s only tourist attraction is a grouping of windmills along I-65. Gross, boring, disgusting city and state.
If I cared anything at all about the state of Indiana, the city of Indianapolis, the Pacers of now or 20 years ago I might be really offended by that rant.
I didn’t know Al Bundy was the president of his own fan club. Interesting, you sure sound like him.
Is that supposed to be an insult?
Middleton played like the HOFer that he most likely is in gm3 but the Bucks are gonna need Cam Payne to do to Indy what Lou Williams did to them a few yrs ago if they’re gonna regain home court adv today. Payne, Connaughton & Portis all gonna have to be aggressive/efficient scorers today bc Jrue still has to focus on being the head of the defense & as we just saw Middleton can’t do it all himself… link to m.youtube.com
Payne
Jrue has to focus on running a defense in Miami tomorrow night at 7:30 for the Celtics.
But the rest of what you said makes sense.
What effect could Payne’s performance possibly have on the MIL-IND series?
He could possibly be talking about Pat Bev. He is known to be somewhat of a “pain” in the…
Personally I think Sanka might be have partaken a little too much of something. He also mentioned Jrue Holiday leading the defenseand said that Khris Middleton being a likely Hall of Famer.
That, or maybe he has a parlay involving the three series.
Also, Moncrief, Sickma and Alvin Robertson need to communicate better on pick and roll situations. They’re leaving Big Dog and Kareem to basically defend 2 against 5 on nearly every possession!!!
Sank being drunk explains a lot.
Oh – oooohhhh
Injuries are a biscuit maaan.
This is why taking care of your body. Taking care of yourself. Is so important for an athlete. Injuries are affecting a number of teams. Playoffs lols.
Injuries are a part of the game. Nobody has control over injuries.
They become such convenient excuses for the losing team.
Suck it up.
Only you don’t have control.
Al, your thoughts on the “65 game rule?” I know “back in the day” a lot of guys played more regular season minutes, but it’s a different game now, and the post-season is MUCH longer. Your opinion on how the rule might have affected the playoffs?
If Brook Lopez big a$$ actually plays big and stops hanging around 3pt line, they may have a chance.
There goes Lillard’s shot at a championship.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Warriors pursued Giannis next year.
He signed a contract extension…Warriors also have zero assets.
Warriors can pursue all they want, there are at least a dozen teams with more assets than them. Also the Bucks have a better shot next year with a full offseason.
Bad team with no center could have interest in good center. Mind = blown! Any more predictions? Lol
Also why are there 2 captains itt
Giannis is not a center.
What are you talking about?
So gino is gonna play the 4 while draymond plays 5?
Lopez was a 20 pt scorer for Nets. He needs to score to have a chance.
It’s just such a Bucks thing. I had them winning it all healthy. Pacers better take advantage now.
Bucks are the New NETS and Lillard faking AF
Middleton could have killed the Pacers if he had the ball in his hands before… Dame just got cold AT the end of the 4th and disapeared in OT