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Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Portis, Middleton, Horst

April 29th, 2024 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Trailing 3-1 in their series with Indiana, the Bucks‘ best hope for a comeback rests with the return of injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, writes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Both players sat out Sunday’s loss, but neither has been ruled out for the series, which resumes Tuesday night in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined since suffering a calf strain April 9, has been listed as doubtful for the first four games. However, there’s cause for optimism after the former MVP completed an intense workout Sunday morning.

“It went well,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He moved, he shot, he’s running now with no resistance. So those are all very good signs.” Rivers said he’s “optimistic” about Antetokounmpo’s chances to return at some point, adding, “Like I think there’s a chance for him to play in this series. I really do.”

Lillard aggravated his right Achilles tendon late in Game 3. He wore a walking boot for Saturday’s film session, but didn’t have it on as he sat on the bench for Sunday’s contest. He was officially listed as out with tendinitis in the Achilles tendon.

“Not shutting him down,” Rivers said. “That’s a fact. I can say that much for sure.”

There is “obviously pessimism” about the status of both players with a quick turnaround for Game 5, Shams Charania said this morning on Run It Back (video link).

There’s more on the Bucks:

  • Milwaukee lost an important part of its rotation on Sunday when Bobby Portis was ejected seven minutes into the game for an altercation with Andrew Nembhard (video link), notes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Although Nembhard pulled Portis’ arm, the officials determined during a video review that Portis’ push and open-handed strike were two separate hostile acts, meeting the standard for an ejection. “The emotions got the best of him,” Khris Middleton said. “I thought, for the most part of the year, he’s done a great job flirting with that line and not crossing over it. Tonight, it just crossed over at the worst time for us.”
  • Middleton played 40 minutes on Sunday despite pain in both ankles, Nehm adds. The veteran swingman was dealing with a sprained right ankle entering the game, and he hurt the left one when Myles Turner landed on it during a third quarter collision.
  • Sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer there’s a legitimate chance that general manager Jon Horst will leave the Bucks this summer to become head of basketball operations for the Pistons. Horst wasn’t on board with either of the team’s coaching hirings over the past year, according to O’Connor, as he preferred Nick Nurse when the organization opted for Adrian Griffin to please Antetokounmpo and he pushed for Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson when Rivers was brought in at midseason. O’Connor notes that Horst is a Michigan native who got his first front office job with the Pistons, and he might be more comfortable building a young team than refining Milwaukee’s aging roster.
  • Kelly Iko of The Athletic looks at the strategic adjustments made by Rivers and Indiana’s Rick Carlisle that have helped to shape the series.
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Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Out For Game 4

April 28th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Rory Maher

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.

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Eastern Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Wright, Raptors, Hornets

April 27th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After Shams Charania reported earlier today that Damian Lillard‘s availability for Game 4 of the Bucks‘ series with Indiana is uncertain, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that the star guard is dealing with an Achilles strain, telling reporters that Lillard underwent an MRI.

Rivers didn’t know the results of that MRI when he spoke to the media, but he indicated that he isn’t necessarily counting on having Lillard available on Sunday, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Not looking great, but we don’t know yet,” Rivers said.

As for the Bucks’ other injured star, Rivers said that Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) will be working out “hard” on Sunday morning and that the team would “make a decision” on him after that (Twitter link via Jamal Collier of ESPN).

Asked if Antetokounmpo could be available for Game 4 following his Sunday morning workout, Rivers replied, “I doubt it, but we’ll see.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

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Damian Lillard’s Status For Game 4 In Doubt With Achilles Strain

April 27th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

As we wrote earlier on Saturday, the Bucks‘ injury issues are getting worse before they get better, as there is serious doubt Damian Lillard will be ready for Game 4 against the Pacers due to an Achilles strain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania, who adds that Lillard is currently in a walking boot, notes in a separate tweet that the eight-time All-Star played through significant soreness in his Achilles tendon in recent weeks, which was aggravated in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

The Bucks are now facing the potential of being without both of their superstars – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard – as they look to even the series at two games apiece.

Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 35.4% from three on 8.5 attempts per game in his first year with the Bucks.

In the first two games of the series against the Pacers, he scored a combined 69 points. Despite the injury, he played 44 minutes in Game 3 and recorded 28 points and eight assists.

The Pacers lead the series 2-1. The two teams square off again on Sunday, with the Pacers looking to take the series back to Milwaukee with a 3-1 series lead.

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Central Notes: Bucks/Pacers Series, Haliburton, Lillard, Middleton, Pistons

April 27th, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pacers took a 2-1 series lead over the Bucks on Friday in their first home playoff game in five years. As Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes, the Bucks did a good job of defending Indiana’s preferred style of play. Milwaukee overcame a 19-point Pacers lead to force overtime behind a miraculous Khris Middleton three-pointer, and another to tie the game with 6.7 seconds left in overtime.

However, the Pacers countered everything the Bucks threw at them and prevented Milwaukee from stealing one on their home floor. With Tyrese Haliburton forced off the ball, Indiana placed Pascal Siakam on the same side of the ball to further extend Haliburton’s runway behind the three-point line.

“We’ve got to look at ways to counter the things they’re doing and vice versa,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s going to keep going like that — back and forth, back and forth. … The ball movement is very important. We’ve got to remind ourselves to play with pace and move it.”

Indiana is continuing to display that it’s the high-caliber passing team it was in the regular season, leading the playoffs in assists (29.0), secondary assists (5.5) and potential assists (51.5) per game.

“In Game 1, we had a little segment on ‘one more,’ just being better at making the extra pass,” Haliburton said. “We’ve done a great job with these last two games getting guys open shots. When the ball is moving, everyone is touching it, getting open shots, the energy is just right — even if you’re not making them. I like to say the energy you put in the ball is important. I think every basketball player in the world can learn from that.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Haliburton hasn’t put up big scoring numbers in the series against Milwaukee and he made just 8-of-22 field goal attempts in Game 3, but that didn’t stop the Pacers guard from having the confidence to take the game-winning shot, Iko writes in the same piece. “Just knew I was shooting it, no matter what,” Haliburton said. “Didn’t know what I was going to get to, just based off of feel out there. .. Finally made a shot. I couldn’t buy a bucket today. Glad that one went in.“
  • The already shorthanded Bucks got more bad news with Damian Lillard going down going down and grabbing his left knee in obvious pain. “It just happened so fast as I was landing,” Lillard said, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “My foot was gonna do one thing and when all his weight came down on my foot it kind of twisted me up. It was painful, initially, so I just stayed down.” Lillard returned to the game and knew he would deal with discomfort, but didn’t believe he was at risk of making the injury worse. Unfortunately, Lillard aggravated his Achilles tendon with 9.3 seconds left in regulation. Lillard told coach Doc Rivers he didn’t have any explosiveness in overtime but hopes that he can get some back before Game 4. He’s likely to be listed as questionable for Game 4.
  • Middleton was on the injury report for the Bucks ahead of Game 3 with an ankle sprain that occurred in the first quarter of Game 2. That made his 42-point outing all the more impressive, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm writes. “Just who he is, man,” teammate Bobby Portis said. “Just a testament to being resilient and just being a team player, man. Obviously, we’re already down Giannis [Antetokounmpo], so I just think he understood the moment, the situation and rose to the occasion. Some guys can be questionable and be out there limping or acting like this and that, but he was full cash money today and it was good to see him hit those big shots.” With Antetokounmpo possibly out for Game 4 and Lillard ailing, the Bucks will continue to look to Middleton for answers on offense.
  • After a historically disappointing season, the Pistons should look to acquire two-way veterans to help propel their team, Sam Vecenie and James L. Edwards III write. Vecenie compares the situation to last year’s Rockets, who improved tremendously without sacrificing assets by adding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
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Injury Notes: Leonard, Gafford, Lillard, G. Allen, Jackson

April 26th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard was listed as questionable heading into Friday’s Game 3 against Dallas due to right knee inflammation, but he was later upgraded to available, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).

Leonard returned to action on Tuesday after being sidelined for three-plus week with the knee injury. He played 35 minutes in Game 2 and it’s unclear if two-time Finals MVP will be ready for more than that tonight.

“Not sure yet,” head coach Tyronn Lue said on Thursday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “That’s something we got to talk about with medical. I’m not sure if the minutes will go up but he feels good.”

Leonard was understandable rusty in his first game back and needs to find his timing, Lue added, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“I think mentally he felt OK (thinking) ‘I got over that hurdle. I feel good. I can do this,’” Lue said of Leonard. “I’m hoping he continues that at the start of (Game 3).

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • After previously being listed as questionable, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (back spasms) went through his pregame routine unscathed and will be active on Friday, the team announced (via Twitter). Gafford made a big impact for Dallas in the second half of the season after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline.
  • Bucks guard Damian Lillard appeared to suffer a left knee injury in the first quarter of Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana after his heel area was accidentally landed on by Pascal Siakam (Twitter video link via ESPN). Lillard was in significant pain and went back to the locker room to get checked out, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, the eight-time All-Star returned to action at the start of the second quarter and remained in through the conclusion of the overtime loss, so evidently the injury isn’t a serious one.
  • Suns wing Grayson Allen, who sustained a right ankle sprain in Game 1 in Minnesota and then re-injured the ankle in Game 2, said he felt “better than expected” on Thursday, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Allen was a partial practice participant on Thursday and is questionable for Friday’s Game 3 in Phoenix. However, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 expressed doubt about his status tonight, tweeting that Sunday’s Game 4 looks like a more “realistic” return date.
  • Nuggets reserve guard Reggie Jackson was in a walking boot and using crutches on Friday, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Head coach Michael Malone said Jackson has a sprained ankle and he’ll be questionable for Saturday’s Game 4 vs. the Lakers, with the boot a “preventative” measure, according to Brendan Vogt of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).
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Bucks’ Middleton Available, But Giannis Out For Game 3

April 26th, 2024 at 4:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Khris Middleton, who missed Thursday’s practice after sustaining a right ankle sprain in Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Indiana, is active and starting tonight for the Bucks, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

While Middleton being available is obviously good news for Milwaukee, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the third straight game of the first-round series due to a left calf (soleus) strain, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays.

A three-time All-Star, Middleton has been hampered by a variety of injuries the past two seasons. In 55 regular season games in 2023/24 (27.0 MPG), the 32-year-old averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.3 APG and 0.9 SPG on .493/.381/.833 shooting.

Antetokounmpo continues to deal with the calf injury that has kept him on the sidelines since April 9. He has been ramping up his activity this week, but was unable to go through live drills at Thursday’s practice.

With Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks will need strong performances from Damian Lillard, Middleton and the rest of the supporting cast to keep up with Indiana’s high-powered offense, which ranked second in the NBA during the regular season. Controlling the pace and limiting transition opportunities will be another key to victory. The series is currently tied at one game apiece.

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Central Notes: Siakam, Bucks, Pistons Offseason

April 25th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Tristan Tucker

So far in the playoffs, Pascal Siakam has been everything the Pacers had hoped he’d be when they traded for him at the deadline, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak writes. In two postseason contests vs. the Bucks, Siakam is averaging 36.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while making 64.6% of his shots. He helped propel the Pacers to a Game 2 victory.

“I just was taking what’s out there,” Siakam said after Game 2. “I don’t feel like I’m trying anything or forcing anything. Just playing within the flow of the offense. Just not thinking about anything and taking whatever is there.”

Milwaukee has done a solid job of defending Tyrese Haliburton, forcing Siakam to be the offensive focal point of the team. He has thrived in that role thus far.

“Pascal’s a guy that naturally has a personality and a presence that is poised,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Game 2. “He just doesn’t get rattled. He plays the game at his pace. He’s a unique player. His experience shows and he had a lot of big plays for us tonight.”

Siakam has a championship ring from his time with the Raptors. As Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes, the veteran forward was able to establish himself as a vocal leader after he joined Indiana in January, which isn’t the role he filled during the 2019 championship season in Toronto.

“It’s different,” Siakam said. “I’m usually not a talkative person. And it’s something that in the past, in a different situation, it was always a hope that [I] talked a little bit more but I’m coming in, putting in the work every single day and leading by example. But I was challenged with this group to talk. It feels better when it feels like your voice is received well — once you talk, the guys are looking, hearing and feeling like they want to get whatever information you have. It’s been good, I enjoy it. It’s another part of my growth as a player.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • With the Bucks struggling to contain Siakam, Eric Nehm of The Athletic explores what Milwaukee needs to do to stop him. Since Giannis Antetokounmpo it out with a calf injury, there aren’t easy answers. Nehm writes that Khris Middleton is too small to stop Siakam, while Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez are slower than him. In order to help mitigate the Siakam issue, the Bucks should guard him closer on the three-point line, get more physical with him, and be more disciplined about not blowing coverages, Nehm writes.
  • The Pistons are coming off the most disappointing season in franchise history and have work to do to not only improve in the short term, but set up an infrastructure of winning around some of their pieces. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III explores several moves Detroit could make to set up their franchise for success. Edwards writes that the team shouldn’t be afraid to explore moving Jaden Ivey or Jalen Duren in trades given their high value across the league relative to the rest of the team.
  • In order for the Pistons to have a successful offseason, they’ll need to nail their hire for the head of basketball operations, Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press writes. Like Edwards, Sankofa believes the Pistons could look to trade their first-round draft pick. Outside of that, Sankofa wants to see the team to add plus defenders across the lineup, not hesitate to spend money, and sign Cade Cunningham to a max extension.
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Injury Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Kawhi, THJ, Gafford

April 25th, 2024 at 2:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks wing Khris Middleton sustained a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Indiana. He wound up playing 36 minutes, but he didn’t practice on Thursday and head coach Doc Rivers said “there’s a little” concern about Middleton’s availability for Game 3 on Friday, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“It’s another holding our breath situation, so honestly, I don’t know,” Rivers said (Twitter link via Nehm).

Middleton has averaged 19.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 5.0 APG while shooting 53.6% from the field through two games (35.5 MPG). Milwaukee would certainly miss the three-time All-Star if he’s unable to go on Friday, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo still out.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Speaking of Antetokounmpo, Rivers said the Bucks‘ two-time MVP was doing quite a bit of “shooting and moving” at Thursday’s practice. However, he was unable to go through live drills, as Nehm relays (via Twitter). Antetokoutnmpo was listed as doubtful before being ruled out prior to the first two games of the first-round series vs. the Pacers. The 29-year-old has been sidelined since April 9 due to a left calf strain.
  • Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed that Kawhi Leonard‘s knee responded well following Tuesday’s loss to Dallas, which was his first game back in three-plus weeks, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Lue said Leonard will go through a non-contact practice on Thursday, Townsend adds. It’s unclear if the six-time All-Star will see even more minutes in Friday’s Game 3 after playing 35 a couple days ago.
  • Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will be sidelined for Friday’s Game 3, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He’ll be evaluated in a few days,” head coach Jason Kidd said. Hardaway sprained his right ankle in Game 2 and didn’t play the entire second half. Starting center Daniel Gafford (back) did not practice on Thursday and is questionable for Friday’s game, Kidd added.
  • In case you missed it, the Lakers will still be without Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee) for Thursday’s Game 3 vs. Denver. Both players had reportedly been aiming to return tonight.
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Wolves’ Naz Reid Named Sixth Man Of The Year

April 24th, 2024 at 5:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has been named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023/24 season, the league announced on Wednesday evening (via Twitter).

A former undrafted free agent, Reid averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .477/.414/.736 shooting in 81 games this season (24.2 MPG).

Reid is the first player in Timberwolves franchise history to win the Sixth Man award, per a team press release.

The 24-year-old was a major reason why Minnesota didn’t skip a beat when Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined with a knee injury late in the season. The Wolves went 14-6 without Towns and 56-26 overall, good for the No. 3 seed in the West.

The voting was remarkably close (Twitter link via the NBA). In fact, it was the smallest margin between first- and second-place finishers since the current voting format was implemented 21 years ago, according to the league (via Twitter).

Reid finished with 45 first-place votes, 39 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes for a total of 352 points. Runner-up Malik Monk had the exact same number of second- and third-place votes, but finished with two fewer first-place votes for 342 total points.

Kings guard Monk appeared in 72 games this season for Sacramento, all off the bench. He averaged 15.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 5.1 APG on .443/.350/.829 shooting in 26.0 MPG.

Bucks big man Bobby Portis, who finished third in Sixth Man voting last season, finished a distant third again in ’23/24, receiving 81 total points. He averaged 13.8 PPG and 7.4 RPG on .508/.407/.790 shooting without missing a game this season for Milwaukee (24.5 MPG).

Clippers wing Norman Powell (65 points) and Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (40 points) finished fourth and fifth in voting, respectively. No other player received more than three points.

Powell actually received the most third-place votes of any player, but fewer first- and second-place votes than Portis, which is why he finished behind Milwaukee’s forward/center.

Jose Alvarado, Russell Westbrook, T.J. McConnell, Jonathan Isaac, Jaime Jaquez, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bojan Bogdanovic all received at least one vote.

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