The Milwaukee Bucks might bench Giannis Antetokounmpo for two consecutive games. He missed their previous matchup against the Washington Wizards, which resulted in a comfortable win for Milwaukee. But the 2021 NBA champion remains on the Bucks’ injury report ahead of their trip to Chicago.
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Antetokounmpo is suffering from back spasms and is listed as ‘questionable’ in the Bucks’ injury report.
Such spasms are typically sudden and involuntary, brought about by excessive stress to the lower back. Giannis has certainly been exerting himself over the last week, recording two double-doubles and one triple-double over his last three appearances.
Though he should be mobile already, spasms can be easily triggered by the same movements that incurred the initial stress. Therefore, Doc Rivers might play it safe and let Khris Middleton run the ship against the 9th seeded Bulls.
This would allow Giannis a near-week-long break between games as Milwaukee’s next matchup is on Thursday night when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. They are enjoying a relatively easier schedule at the moment, presenting a golden opportunity to rest their franchise superstar.
However, Chicago has been known to pull off the occasional upset this season. Just last week, they beat a fully healthy Boston Celtics side by beating them on the glass. Despite being in the bottom half of the standings, the Bulls are top 15 in rebounding, ahead of even the Milwaukee Bucks.
They will certainly benefit from the lack of Giannis’ tenacity and size inside as the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year is currently seventh in rebounds per game. The Bucks’ back-up bigs Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez combine for fewer rebounds than Antetokounmpo.
And that isn’t the only area where Milwaukee might miss the two-time MVP’s contributions. Damian Lillard, the team’s second leading scorer, was listed as doubtful on the recent injury report after picking up a right calf strain.
Khris Middleton, who dropped a season-high 18 points in his last game, also remains on the injury report. Rivers is likely being cautious after Middleton underwent offseason ankle surgery, though he is more likely to participate tonight than Dame. The report lists him as ‘probable’.
Rivers likely attributes this recent run of injuries to Milwaukee’s grueling schedule. As the NBA Cup champions, the Bucks haven’t enjoyed as much rest as the remainder of the league, and hopefully, they can bounce back from the injuries without falling below their current standing as the fifth seed.
