Bucks rule out Giannis Antetokounmpo for Pacers opener
MILWAUKEE -- Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in Game 1 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, coach Doc Rivers said about two hours before tipoff.
Antetokounmpo has not played since April 9, sitting out Milwaukee's final three regular-season games with a strained calf.
The Bucks remain hopeful the treatment for Antetokounmpo's injury will allow him to return sometime later in the series, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Rivers, meanwhile, said he still did not have any clarity on an injury timeline.
"We prepare with what's on the floor," Rivers said before Game 1. "Giannis has done a lot of work. He's shooting, he's running again, he looks good, but he hasn't been able to participate."
Injuries have kept Antetokounmpo out of playoff games for the second straight season. He suffered a back injury in Game 1 of the 2023 playoffs and was sidelined the next two games against the Miami Heat. He returned for Game 4, but the Bucks lost the series in five games.
Antetokounmpo averaged 42.2 points and 13 rebounds in Milwaukee's five regular-season meetings with Indiana. He scored a franchise-record 64 points in the Bucks' only win against the Pacers.
The Bucks went 4-5 without Antetokounmpo during the regular season.
"We've really prepared this week with what we've had," Rivers said.
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