Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo injury news could hand Milwaukee Bucks some hope

A combination of awful injury luck, poor play and a simple inability to slow down the Indiana Pacers offense has the Milwaukee Bucks on the brink of their second straight first-round playoff exit. The 2021 NBA Champions have struggled without Giannis Antetokounmpo on both ends of the court and lost Damian Lillard to an Achilles injury at the end of Game 3.

A mishmash of players battled the Pacers for three quarters in Game 4, but Indiana couldn’t miss from behind the arc, hitting 22-of-43 threes (51.2 percent) and eventually running away from Milwaukee for a 13-point win and 3-1 series lead.

Is there any good news at all for the Bucks as they return home facing a do-or-die Game 5 at Fiserv Forum? Well, maybe.

Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘has a chance’ to return for Milwaukee at some point this series

There are conflicting reports about the status of Antetkounmpo’s calf injury. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Giannis and Lillard are doubtful for Game 5, but a source closer to the Bucks – head coach Doc Rivers – was a little more optimistic, at least about Antetkounmpo, after his team’s Game 4 loss, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.

The Bucks’ star went through a workout prior to Sunday night’s game, and Rivers reported that things went well, maybe even better than expected:

He moved. He shot. He’s running now with no resistance, so those are all very good signs. … There’s a chance for him to play (in the first round).

Rivers could desperately use the services of his two-time MVP, especially if Lillard, who hasn’t done any on-court work since Game 3, can’t go.

Thank you for reading The Dunk Central. Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite teams and players. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing NBA outlets!