The Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the Indiana Pacers 109-94 in the opening game of their Eastern Conference playoff series, took a film session and walkthrough on the floor on Monday afternoon at the Sports Science Center.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a “pretty good, brisk workout” on Sunday before Game 1, according to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. He had been working in the courtroom for the past four days in a row.
The Bucks’ first ιnjury report, which was filed late on Monday, listed Antetokounmpo as uncertain to play on Tuesday night. Rivers referred to this as a “maintenance day” for the two-time league MVP.
Rivers said, “To be honest, I don’t even go in there (the training area) when asked what that looked like. There’s not a single thing I could tell you about any of those individuals. Now that I’ve learnt, I simply avoid the training room. They might force me to get on the table, therefore I don’t want to be in there. I assume you’ve seen me stroll. I’m not sure.
“But even that, I am aware, is active material. That’s what I’ll sаy. I am aware that he is moving and lifting physically. However, today—I believe he has appeared in court four days straight—I believe this is the non-court day, if that makes more sense.”
Tuesday night’s game 2 is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. at Fiserv Forum.
More: For as little as $35, you can purchаse a ticket to Game 2 of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers playoff series.
Regarding Damian Lillard, he fared well physically during his 38 minutes of play after scoring a franchise-high 35 points in the first half of the Bucks’ 15-point victory. Due to pаin in his left adductor and Achilles tendon, he was unable to participate in sessions the previous week. With a sprained left ankle, reserve guard AJ Green was also out during practice the previous week, but he was fully recovered for the first game of the series. For the victory, he played five minutes.
In Game 1, Bobby Portis also seemed to be hobbling a little bit, but Antetokounmpo was the only Bucks player included on the initial ιnjury report.
“Health-wise, everyone was excellent today,” stated Rivers. “We didn’t do enough to know if anybody was hurt, but the report back, the post(game) health report was good last night.”
When did Giannis get hurt?
April 9, during the Boston Celtics’ third quarter. After inbowing the ball, Antetokounmpo walked up the floor, hesitated, and then sat down on the court.
When will Giannis return?
That remаins to be seen, but Rivers had stated before that the Bucks were encouraged by his development. On April 10, during the team’s home finale, Antetokounmpo wore a walking boot; however, on Sunday, he did not wear it.
After missing 15 days due to a strained soleus in 2022, Lillard was able to resume playing.
What is the soleus muscle?
The left soleus muscle, one of the three lower leg muscles collectively referred to as the calf, was strained in Antetokounmpo’s ιnjury. The muscle that is located deeper is the soleus. The other two muscles are the plantaris and gastrocnemius. At the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles converge.
Why Giannis missed Game 1
Antetokounmpo was not ruled out of the Bucks’ opening series game until Sunday’s pregame. Although Rivers had stated that practice would not be necessary for Antetokounmpo to play, he had not warmed up before the game and had not practiced at all during the week.
Prior to the game, Rivers remarked, “He looks better for sure. He got some shooting in (Saturday), he’s moving on the floor.”
What is the Bucks record without Giannis?
Sunday’s victory moved them up to 1-0 in the 2024 playoffs. The Bucks are 4-2 in his career when he misses postseason games.In the 2023–24 regular season, they went 4-5 with wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix, and Orlando, three playoff teams. On April 9, the Bucks overcame the Celtics despite Antetokounmpo’s early ιnjury withdrawal.