Giannis Antetokounmpo is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss the Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics clash on Wednesday night as a result, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. It is a pivotal game for Milwaukee, and they will obviously miss their best player. The Bucks will try to step up amid Giannis' absence and upset the best team in the NBA.
The Bucks currently trail the Celtics by 10 games in the Eastern Conference. So climbing back in the standings would obviously be difficult even with a win.
With that being said, earning a win over the Celtics in Boston would be a big statement victory. It would also help Milwaukee inch closer to clinching the No. 2 seed in the East. The Cleveland Cavaliers are just one game behind the Bucks in the standings as of this story's writing.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's hamstring injury
Giannis was forced to miss Milwaukee's recent game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Still, the Bucks found a way to defeat Phoenix 140-129 in an offensive outburst. Damian Lillard, Bobby Portis, and Khris Middleton led the way for the team.
Doc Rivers' comments after the game surely made fans believe that Antetokounmpo was set to return on Wednesday. However, that clearly is not the case.
“It's not an injury. We're just concerned a little bit,” Rivers said previously, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Plus if you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off.”
But now that Giannis is out Wednesday with a hamstring injury, one has to wonder when he will return. Milwaukee is fighting to get the best possible spot in the NBA playoffs. Although they defeated the Suns without Giannis, they will endure trouble trying to remain consistent without him moving forward.
The team is still hopeful that he can return soon, of course.
Giannis in MVP conversation once again
Antetokounmpo, 29, is averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He is also shooting 61.6 percent from the field.
Giannis is in the MVP conversation. He is not the favorite at the moment, but Antetokounmpo unquestionably deserves serious consideration given how well he has played. Assuming he plays one more game this season, he will officially reach the NBA's 65-game threshold for awards as well.
Antetokounmpo is a great player but stars such as Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum are also going to receive MVP consideration. At the end of the day, Giannis' primary focus is on winning a championship.
He is hoping to return soon as the Bucks look to pull off a huge win over the Celtics. Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST in Boston.
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