Is Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo playing vs. Pacers? Latest Game 2 injury update

The Bucks have been playing without Antetokounmpo since he suffered a left soleus strain injury during a late-season matchup against the Boston Celtics at home on Apr. 9. Since then, the Bucks have played four games, including the series opener versus Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.

As recent as Tuesday morning, the Bucks still have Antetokounmpo’s name on the injury report as doubtful with the same left soleus injury. That’s not a good sign for his availability for tonight’s ball game in Cream City, though, he’s already started to do some work on the court.  Bucks head coach Doc Rivers also said that Monday was a “maintenance day” for the star player.

“Honestly, I don’t even go in there (the training room). I could literally not tell you one thing what any of those guys do. I’ve learned, I just stay out the training room. I don’t want to be in there because they may make me get on the table. You’ve seen me walk, right? I don’t know,” Rivers said when asked to elaborate further, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“But I know even that is active stuff. I will say that. I know he’s doing physical lifting and moving. But today – I think he’s been on the court four days in a row – I think today is the non-court day, is maybe a better way of saying that,” Rivers added.

Although nothing should be taken for granted in the playoffs, the Bucks can afford to be a little bit more conservative in their approach to Antetokounmpo’s return timetable. Milwaukee is up 1-0 in the Indiana series with Game 2 still to be played at the Bucks’ home. The need for Antetokounpo to return could have been a lot different if the Bucks got upset in Game 1, but that was clearly not the case as they handily beat the Pacers.

The Bucks still have plenty of weapons to exploit the Pacers’ leaky defense that allowed Damian Lillard to go off for 35 points and six made 3-pointers in Game 1. Khris Middleton contributed 23 points while Bobby Portis got to start in place of Antetokounmpo and produced a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of action on the floor.

If Antetokounmpo gets ruled out for Game 2, the soonest he can make his debut in the 2024 NBA Playoffs will be in Game 3 of the series in Indiana on Friday. Game 4 will be on Sunday before the series goes back to Milwaukee on Apr. 29 for Game 5 — if necessary.

So, when it comes to the question of if Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing tonight vs. the Pacers, the answer is highly unlikely.