The Milwaukee Bucks recently suffered an injury scare when superstar power forward and league MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a non-contact leg injury in a recent home game against the Boston Celtics, which the Bucks went on to win by a landslide. Antetokounmpo has since been diagnosed with a calf strain, which will keep him out of the Bucks’ lineup for the rest of the regular season (three games), and Milwaukee fans are undoubtedly hoping that the big man will be back in time to compete in the NBA Playoffs, which begin on April 20 and 21.
For some, the injury brought up thoughts of then-Golden State Warriors player Kevin Durant’s calf injury in a second-round playoff game against the Houston Rockets in 2019. Durant missed the rest of that round and the following round against the Portland Trail Blazers before returning in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, only to suffer an Achilles tear in that game, which many attributed to the calf injury.
Charles Barkley, a former NBA star and current TNT analyst, expressed that sentiment.
“It’s scary.” I believe when Kevin Durant suffered the same injury, he was out for a month and blew out his Achilles in his first game back,” Barkley told NBA on TNT on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
How far can the Buckeyes go?
The Giannis Antetokounmpo injury was the latest episode in the Bucks’ disappointing 2023-24 NBA season. Despite having the second best record in the Eastern Conference (which they still have), Milwaukee fired freshly appointed head coach Adrian Griffin just a few months into the season, opening the way for Doc Rivers to become the team’s next coach. While holding onto the second spot, the Bucks have been playing around.500 basketball under Rivers, a significant drop from the heights they attained with Griffin.
Damian Lillard’s acquisition has yielded a crucial shot or two, most notably in a home game against the Sacramento Kings, but the team’s defensive performance has deteriorated substantially since replacing previous star Jrue Holiday. Many consider Antetokounmpo to be the main reason the Bucks can still intimidate opponents in the playoffs, but for the second year in a row, his first-round credentials is in doubt.
Last season, Antetokounmpo was injured early in Game 1 of the Bucks’ series against the Miami Heat. The Bucks fell behind 2-1 in that series before the star was hurried back, looking nothing like himself as the club went on to lose in five games.
In any event, Milwaukee’s prospects of making a significant impact this spring increase and fall with Antetokounmpo’s availability, which is currently in severe doubt.
