The Milwaukee Bucks return to the Fiserv Forum for a matchup against the Indiana Pacers on MLK Day after a four-game road trip last week.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo misses third game in a row due to knee pain
The Bucks are without star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has left knee pain, for the third straight season. He went through his normal pre-game routine but it was a longer session. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said ahead of the Antetokounmpo vs. Pacers game.
Monday was the ninth game of the season that Antetokounmpo has missed due to left knee pain.
“I think his communication and the medical group just feel like he’s here,” Budenholzer said. “He’s out today. It’s kind of a thing that he and we dealt with. For me it’s every year that I’ve been here. So we don’t think it’s more than that. He’s healthy and taking care of him is always our priority and we’ll probably always play it safe and know how important he is to us.”
Antetokounmpo missed three out of four games with the illness from November 5-11 and was out of action for six days before returning on November 14 to play in nine straight games.
The Bucks play Toronto Tuesday night and then have time off in Cleveland until Saturday night. If he lasts against the Raptors, he’d have nine days between games.
“That was not discussed,” Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo’s status on Tuesday. “We’ll see how he feels after today. Usually there’s weight lifting and other types of body stuff today, see how he reacts, see how he feels tomorrow. But there was no discussion, no decision until tomorrow.”
In an eight-game period from Dec. 19-Jan. No. 4 Antetokounmpo played 37.6 minutes per game while averaging 39.1 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists, a personally historic stretch at which he posted a career-high 55 points on Jan. 3, scored 40 points and 20 points in a row. rebound games and record a 30-21-10 triple-double.
But from January 6 against Charlotte, his offensive performance drastically decreased. He averaged just 17 points on 36% shooting, including two single-digit goals. He was 3-for-10 in Atlanta on Jan. 11 before closing ahead of the two games in Miami.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is injured
Oshkosh native Tyrese Haliburton was not sent home Monday as he was out with a sprained left elbow and a bruised bone in his left knee. Haliburton suffered the injuries on January 11. The 22-year-old has an all-star campaign, averaging 20.2 points and 10.2 assists per game.
Buck’s injury report
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee pain) is out
- Jrue Holiday (right ankle sprain), probable
- Bobby Portis (right quadriceps), probably
- Serge Ibaka (personal), out
- Joe Ingles (injury management), out
- Khris Middleton (right knee) is out
Who do the Bucks play next?
The Bucks host the Toronto Raptors at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fiserv Forum, the second time they’ve played the Raptors in less than two straight weeks. Toronto overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime in Canada on Jan. 4, but Grayson Allen won the game for the Bucks with a three-pointer. Toronto is managed by Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes.
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