Bucks’ Giannis Out for Game 6 vs. Pacers with Injury, Damian Lillard to Return

Julia StumbaughMay 2, 2024

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Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard is expected to play in Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, according to TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski initially reported both Lillard (Achilles) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) “are both working to try and make a return,” although their status remains “unclear.” Eric Nehm of The Athletic later noted that Lillard was upgraded to questionable for the contest, while Antetokounmpo remains doubtful.

Milwaukee trails the series 3-2 but found a way to win Game 5 with both of them sidelined.

Antetokounmpo also missed the final three games of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs with the left calf strain.

Prior to the calf injury, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30.4 points and 11.5 points per game in 73 regular-season starts. He also shot a career-best 61.1 percent from the field on his way to earning his eighth consecutive All-Star nomination.

The non-contact injury occurred during an April 9 game against the Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo was running up the court when he stopped and clutched at his left calf before exiting the game in the third quarter.

The Bucks were missing Antetokounmpo as well as Lillard for Games 4 and 5 of the team’s first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

Lillard, who developed chemistry with Antetokounmpo in his first season as a Buck, was sidelined by a strained Achilles tendon.

The Bucks have struggled with poor injury luck throughout the 2023-24 season, despite finishing the campaign with a 49-33 record.

On the way to earning a playoff spot as the No. 3 seed in the East, Milwaukee only had the team’s core three players of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and forward Khris Middleton available five times in the final 33 games of the regular season.