MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the rest of the regular season after an MRI confirmed the two-time MVP has a , while his availability for the start of the playoffs remains uncertain.
Antetokounmpo left the Bucks' over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night after he struggled to run upcourt late in the third quarter. The Bucks provided an update on Antetokounmpo's status Wednesday.
The Bucks were encouraged that Antetokounmpo's only injury involved his calf, because coach Doc Rivers had said after the game Tuesday that the 7-footer also was on his Achilles.
鈥淚 think that was the best news for everybody,鈥� Bucks guard Damian Lillard said Wednesday after a over the Orlando Magic. 鈥淚f it's worse than that, then we're looking at our season like, how can you expect to win the way we want to win without him. That was great news, I'm sure, for everybody.鈥�
There are two games left in the regular season and the Bucks' update didn't make any predictions on Antetokounmpo's potential availability for the beginning of the playoffs.
鈥淣o timeline or anything like that, but we've got the best team working with him," Rivers said. 鈥淭here's no one who's going to work harder than him. You know that. He'll be back when he should be back. We'll find out when that is.鈥�
Rivers was asked if he expects Antetokounmpo to be ready for the playoffs.
鈥淵eah, I鈥檓 hoping,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I鈥檓 just hoping.鈥�
The Bucks finish the regular season by visiting Oklahoma City on Friday and Orlando on Sunday. Their opening playoff game would take place either April 20 or 21.
Antetokounmpo was heading up the court after a 3-point basket by Boston鈥檚 Derrick White late in the third quarter Tuesday when the two-time MVP grabbed his left calf and took a seat on the floor. He eventually was helped off the court and was shown walking into the locker room under his own power.
The Bucks later diagnosed him with a strained left soleus. The soleus is a muscle in the calf.
Lillard noted Tuesday night that he dealt with a similar injury last season while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard recalled that he came back from a calf injury after about eight or nine days, only to hurt his soleus. Lillard said he then ended up missing about two more weeks.
鈥淚t's a much better feeling knowing that that's what it is as opposed to an Achilles,鈥� Lillard said Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo has dealt with injuries this time of year before, while showing an extraordinary ability to recover quickly.
During the Bucks鈥� 2020-21 championship season, Antetokounmpo during the Eastern Conference finals. He missed the last two games of the Bucks鈥� 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks but returned to play the entire NBA Finals and of the series after scoring 50 points in a over the Phoenix Suns.
Last year, Antetokounmpo after getting fouled and landing hard in Game 1 of the Bucks鈥� first-round playoff series with the Miami Heat. Antetokounmpo sat out the rest of that game and also missed Milwaukee鈥檚 next two games in Game 4 of a series the Bucks lost 4-1.
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AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
