What is Giannis’ new injury, Middleton update
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Can Giannis Antetokounmpo still get back into the MVP discussion?
Can Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the midst of his best season, still get back into the MVP race that seems to have left him behind?
LOS ANGELES – The Milwaukee Bucks look to right the ship on their West Coast road trip Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at 2 p.m. CT.
After allowing 98.7 points per game in winning six straight games out of the all-star break, the Bucks have now lost two in a row by giving up 125 points to the Golden State Warriors on March 6 and 123 points to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8.
Milwaukee (41-23) catches the Clippers (41-21) on the second afternoon of a back-to-back, however, as the Clippers beat the Chicago Bulls, 112-102, Saturday.
Is Giannis playing?
The Bucks MVP candidate is listed as probable to play with right knee tendinitis, which is a different injury than what he had been dealing with since March 3 (left Achilles tendinitis). He has been dealing with the Achilles issue since a March 3 practice, but is coming off a triple-double performance against the Lakers. He missed his team’s comeback victory over the Clippers on March 4 at Fiserv Forum with the injury.
Antetokounmpo managed right patellar tendinitis from Feb. 4-March 1.
More: How Giannis Antetokounmpo learned to get over himself to play the best basketball of his career
Bucks injury report
- Khris Middleton, out (left ankle sprain)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, probable (right knee tendinitis)
Clippers injury report
- Russell Westbrook, out (left hand fracture)
- Kawhi Leonard, questionable (left groin soreness)
- Paul George, questionable (left knee soreness)
- James Harden, questionable (left shoulder strain)
Bucks probable starters
- Guards: Malik Beasley, Damian Lillard
- Forwards: Jae Crowder, Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Center: Brook Lopez
When will Khris Middleton play?
Khris Middleton will now miss his 14th straight game after landing on Kevin Durant’s foot on Feb. 6 and severely spraining his left ankle early in the first quarter of Milwaukee’s loss to Phoenix that night. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said the three time all-star would go through an intense workout on Saturday afternoon and maintains Middleton is “close” to a return but there is no definition as to what “close” means.
In his only media session since the injury on March 6, Middleton said continued swelling in the ankle continues to be the biggest issue preventing a return to action. He also does not want to be a defensive liability.
More: Milwaukee Bucks all-star Khris Middleton speaks on ankle injury: ‘I need to be playing’
Read More: What is Giannis’ new injury, Middleton update 2024-03-10 15:02:07