The Bucks will be tested to begin the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Milwaukee enters the postseason with the East’s No. 3 seed but will be forced to begin its first-round series without two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains out with an injury.
Antetokounmpo went down during the final week of the regular season with a calf injury. And while the 29-year-old avoided serious injury, he may not be ready to get back on the floor as the playoffs get underway.
Here’s what you need to know about Antetokounmpo’s injury and his status for the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
MORE: Bucks vs. Pacers rivalry hits the playoff stage
What is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury?
Antetokounmpo is dealing with a left soleus strain. The soleus is a muscle in the calf that starts below the knee and connects to the Achilles tendon.
Antetokounmpo suffered the injury on April 9 and sat out the final four games of the regular season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo limped to the Bucks locker room after suffering a non-contact injury to his calf.
Hope it’s nothing serious 🙏pic.twitter.com/CDiJod7kbY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 10, 2024
The nature of Antetokounmpo’s injury was scary in that it occurred without contact. Imaging confirmed a calf strain and that Antetokounmpo’s Achilles was fully intact.
Antetokounmpo appeared in 73 of 82 games during the regular season. He averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists.
MORE: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury puts the Bucks in a tough spot ahead of playoff series vs. Pacers
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs?
It’s unclear if Antetokounmpo will be cleared to play in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
The Bucks are preparing to be without Antetokounmpo for the start of their first-round series against the Pacers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. There is hope that he will be able to return “sometime later in the series.”
Milwaukee went 45-28 with Antetokounmpo and 4-5 without him in the 2023-24 regular season.
Bucks vs. Pacers schedule, TV channels
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| April 21 | Game 1 at Bucks | 7 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| April 23 | Game 2 at Bucks | 8:30 p.m. | NBATV, Sling |
| April 26 | Game 3 at Pacers | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| April 28 | Game 4 at Pacers | 7 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| April 30 | Game 5 at Bucks* | TBD | TBD |
| May 2 | Game 6 at Pacers* | TBD | TBD |
| May 4 | Game 7 at Bucks* | TBD | TBD |
*If necessary
