A bad postseason just keeps getting worse for the Milwaukee Bucks.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charaniathe Bucks doubt that Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will play in Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the entire postseason due to a calf injury suffered late in the regular season. Lillard missed Sunday’s loss in Game 4 due to an Achilles tendon strain that he aggravated in Game 3. Both are at risk of further injury during the game.
The status update means the Bucks are preparing for an elimination game without their two best players. Indiana’s win in Game 4 gave the team a 3-1 series lead, and the Pacers would clinch the series with a win in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
The Bucks have remained competitive in games despite the continued absence of Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP and the 2021 Finals MVP. They won Game 1, then forced overtime in Game 3 before losing to a game-winner in the last second by Tyrese Haliburton. Before his injury, Lillard increased his scoring average from 24.3 points per game in the regular season to 32.3 points per game in Games 1 through 3.
With Lillard, Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis (first quarter ejection) sidelined in Game 4, the Pacers pulled away for a 126-113 win, leaving the Bucks on the brink of elimination. Even with a win on Tuesday, the Bucks would face the prospect of two more elimination games, with doubts remaining about the availability of Lillard or Antetokounmpo going forward.
