Bucks Playoffs Preview: Giannis Antetokounmpo Out for Game One Against Indiana Pacers

After a year filled with ups and downs, the Milwaukee Bucks finished the season holding the third seed in the Eastern Conference and will now move on to play the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

The series will kick off in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum on April 21 at 6 p.m. While many fans are excited about the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status is making some skeptical of the Buck’s chances to make a deep run in the playoffs. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the two-time NBA MVP has been ruled out for the first game of the series while he continues to heal from a calf injury. The Bucks are closely monitoring his recovery and are hopeful he will be back in action by the end of the series.  

Antetokounmpo suffered the injury in the third quarter of Milwaukee’s game against the Boston Celtics on April 9. While running back up the court after a Celtics bucket, Antetokounmpo collapsed on the court and clutched his left calf. Antetokounmpo was ruled out for the rest of the game and the final three games of the regular season after an MRI showed he strained the soleus muscle in his left calf.  

With Antetokounmpo out, Bucks offseason acquisition Damian Lillard will likely see an increase in usage. The 33-year-old point guard spent 11 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as the team’s centerpiece but saw dips in his production after pairing up with Antetokounmpo. Fans are hopeful that this increase in usage will lead to Lillard returning to form and leading the Bucks to a playoff win. Bucks Fan @BucksShowYo shared a video on X depicting Lillard as an artist walking out to a packed crowd, saying Lillard’s legacy depends on this game.

The effect of Antetokounmpo’s injury was felt immediately. The Bucks had held the number two seed for much of the latter half of the season but lost two of their three games without Antetokounmpo, allowing the New York Knicks to move up and knock Milwaukee down into the third seed. By dropping a seed, Milwaukee avoided having to play the winner of the play-in tournament game between the Philidelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, two teams filled with veterans with playoff experience who could certainly cause trouble for the Bucks.

While they avoid playing the Heat or 76ers, Milwaukee still doesn’t get it easy. The Pacers may be inexperienced in the playoffs, but that’s because they’re young, not because of a lack of talent. The Pacers are led by point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who in his fourth NBA season has blossomed into a superstar, leading the league with 10.9 assists per game this season while also scoring 20.1 points per game.  

“If Dame plays the way he did in Portland, we’re winning the series,” Bucks fan Ethan Engen told Media Milwaukee. “But I’m scared Tyrese Haliburton is going to step up in his return to his home state.” 

Indiana has paired Haliburton and their other young talents with established veterans they can learn from, retaining center Myles Turner and making a mid-season trade to acquire power forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. Siakam has the most playoff experience on the team, having won a championship with Toronto in 2019.

If Milwaukee can overcome Antetokounmpo’s absence and make it past the Pacers, they will face the winner of the series between the second-seeded Knicks and seventh-seeded 76ers. Neither team is favorable matchup for Milwaukee. The Knicks won three out of five matchups against the Bucks this season and have been red-hot recently, coming into the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.  

The 76ers won both games against the Bucks this season, without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who was rehabbing from a meniscus injury. With Embiid Healthy, the 76ers possess a dangerous one-two punch with him and star point guard Tyrese Maxey. Maxey is coming off a breakout season where he averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists, earning his first all-star selection and becoming the favorite to win the 2024 Most Improved Player Award.