This is as good of news as Milwaukee could hope for.
An MRI on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s calf revealed no Achilles tendon damage, only a calf strain. The news was broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic and has since been confirmed by others. Considering how this looked when it happened, it’s a win for the Bucks and their MVP candidate.
VIDEO:
— 3030 (@jose3030) April 10, 2024
Giannis departs after going down untouched. pic.twitter.com/E8N8jd6xwL
The Bucks said in a statement that Antetokounmpo is out for the final three games of the regular season. It could be longer than that.
Antetokounmpo has a left soleus strain — a calf strain — and the average missed time for that is a little over two weeks, which would take the Bucks a few games into the first round of the playoffs. How much of a problem that will be depends on who the Bucks face in the first round — if it’s Joel Embiid and the 76ers, no Antetokounmpo for even one game is an issue. Whoever they face, can the stumbling Bucks come together for a few games without their MVP and get some wins against a lesser foe — on the season, the Bucks have a -3.3 net rating when Antetokounmpo is off the court.
Or will Antetokounmpo find a way back for the playoffs because he pushes himself that way? Calf injuries can be tricky and easy to re-injure, but nobody pushes themselves quite like Antetokounmpo.
