Damian Lillard of the Bucks makes his injury comeback, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful against the Raptors.
The frustration felt by Milwaukee Bucks supporters after two consecutive puzzling losses to the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies can be somewhat alleviated by a healthy Damian Lillard, but it is still noticeable According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, the eight-time All-Star will play in Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. He had missed the previous three games due to an abductor strain.
Similar to the Suns, Lakers, and Warriors, the Bucks have had trouble maintaining their season-long momentum. Even though we beat the Suns and the Thunder, two of the poorest teams in the NBA, we had terrible losses versus the other two. The team’s image will take a nosedive if they end Toronto’s 15-game losing record.
Consequently, the Fiserv Forum must host Dame Time for Milwaukee. Despite his erratic shooting (42.6 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from outside the arc) this season, Lillard is still a deadly threat when the game is on the line. However, the 33-year-old point guard would prefer not to put out as much effort when facing the dormant Raptors.
Head coach Doc Rivers may be tempted to start Damian Lillard when he returns to the lineup since three teams—the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic, and the New York Knicks—are within two games of the second seed. Especially considering the other half of his superstar duo might not be available.
Giannis Antetokounmpo could be held out of action Friday night, as Milwaukee tries to preserve his health for the NBA Playoffs. With momentum being a real concern, however, the two-time MVP’s primary goal might be leading the Bucks to a slump-ending win. We are in the homestretch now, so fans excitedly want to know if Antetokounmpo is playing tonight over Toronto.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status for Bucks game
The Greek Freak is listed as questionable with a left hamstring issue, per the latest injury report. One would expect that Milwaukee is capable enough to upset the 23-53 Raptors without Antetokounmpo, but there are no assurances considering how this week started for the team.
Surprisingly, the most troubling problem in the Bucks’ respective losses to the Wizards and Grizzlies is the mind-boggling discrepancy in points in the paint. In that statistic, they were outscored 76-36 in Wednesday’s 111-101 setback to Memphis. Translation: Yikes!!
While an inactive Damian Lillard explains the dismal offensive output, it cannot describe how a team that has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez manning the low-post area puts out such a dreadful effort. Milwaukee’s difficulties seemingly reach deeper than health. And it does not have much time to sort them out.