MILWAUKEE (AP) – Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Game 2 of the Milwaukee Bucks' first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night due to lingering left calf tightness.
The two-time MVP also missed Game 1 and the Bucks' final three games of the regular season.
“[He] A lot of shots fell on the floor today,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said during the pregame media session. “He's getting closer.”
Game 3 will be played Friday in Indianapolis.
Antetokounmpo was struggling to run up the court in the third quarter of a win over the Boston Celtics on April 9 when he grabbed his left calf and sat on the floor, eventually heading to the locker room. . An MRI scan revealed muscle tension in him.
Antetokounmpo hasn't played since.
The Bucks are 6-5 in games Antetokounmpo has missed this season, including a 109-94 win in Game 1 against the Pacers on Sunday night. Damian Lillard regained momentum by scoring 35 points in the first half alone.
Antetokounmpo has been plagued by injuries in the postseason.
He missed the final game and a half of the 2020 second-round loss to Miami due to an ankle sprain. He missed the final two games of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals with a hyperextended knee, but returned and led the Bucks to their first championship since 1971, starting in Game 6 against the Eastern Conference with the title on the line. He scored 50 points in the victory and was named Finals MVP. Phoenix Suns.
Last year, Antetokounmpo missed Game 1 with a lower back contusion, then missed the Bucks' Game 1 loss to Miami and then the next two games.