Milwaukee Bucks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo Ruled Out For Game 5

July 1st, 2021 at 12:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo will officially miss tonight’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Bucks announced on Twitter.

The two-time MVP had been listed as doubtful after hyperextending his left knee in an awkward fall Tuesday night. Tests conducted Wednesday showed no structural damage to the knee, but a timetable hasn’t been put forth for his return.

“When you talk about the range of possibilities, I think where this has landed has to be looked at as a positive,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told Eric Nemh of The Athletic. “It’s still a really difficult fall. … It’s part of sport. It’s part of the playoffs. We’ll manage it both from a Giannis perspective, from a team’s perspective, and we’ve just got to keep moving, get ready for Game 5.”

Nehm also examines how Milwaukee fared during the regular season when Antetokounmpo didn’t play. He notes that the Bucks went 6-2 when Giannis wasn’t active and the rest of the rotation was available.

Budenholzer hasn’t announced who will take Antetokounmpo’s place in the starting lineup and indicated that a decision may not come until shortly before the game, Nehm tweets.

“At some point, you’ve got to pull the trigger and make a decision,” Budenholzer said. We’ll probably do that and then we’ll probably tell you we don’t know who we are playing and planning on starting and then at tip-off or whatever, you guys will get it.”

Hawks’ Young, Capela Listed As Questionable For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks guard Trae Young and center Clint Capela are listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

Young missed Game 4 on Tuesday with a right foot bone bruise, so the questionable tag should give Hawks fans some hope he’ll return to action in the pivotal game of the series. Atlanta’s 110-88 victory in Game 4 knotted the series at 2-2.

Capela is dealing with right eye inflammation. He caught an elbow from Bucks guard Sam Merrill in the late going, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. He contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes during Game 4.

Additionally, Bogdan Bogdanovic is listed as probable despite right knee soreness, Spencer adds.

The Bucks are likely to be without their star. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful after suffering a hyperextension of his left knee in Game 4. An MRI revealed no structural damage.

Giannis Has No Structural Damage In Knee, Doubtful For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

4:02pm: Antetokounmpo has been listed as doubtful for Game 5, according to the Bucks (Twitter link). The team added in a press release that today’s MRI on Giannis’ knee confirmed the original diagnosis of a hyperextension.

3:24pm: Further testing on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s injured left knee revealed no structural damage, according to Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). His ligaments are sound, sources tell ESPN’s duo.

That’s great news for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, who was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee after falling awkwardly during Game 4 on Tuesday. However, the two-time MVP’s timetable to return remains unclear, per Lowe and Wojnarowski.

Both Antetokounmpo and Hawks star Trae Young are dealing with injuries and haven’t yet been cleared to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. We should learn more about their respective statuses either later today or early tomorrow.

The Bucks, who are already down one starter (Donte DiVincenzo), will have to lean more heavily on stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday if Giannis is unable to play on Thursday in Milwaukee. Brook Lopez and/or Bobby Portis could also be asked to play a larger role in the frontcourt.

Antetokounmpo Leaves Game Four With Knee Injury

June 29th, 2021 at 9:53pm CST by Eli Cohen

Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game Four of the Bucks‘ series with the Hawks in the third quarter after injuring his left knee. He did not return to the game.

The initial diagnosis is a hyperextended knee, according to the Bucks, but more tests are likely to come to determine the extent of the injury and a potential return timeline.

Antetokounmpo had to be carried off the court by his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo before walking the rest of the way himself. He initially returned to the bench before heading back to the locker room and being ruled out for the rest of the game. GM Jon Horst headed to the tunnel as well, tweets Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.

Hawks guard Trae Young missed Game Four altogether due to a foot injury, so neither Atlanta nor Milwaukee is assured of having its star player available for Game Five on Thursday. The Hawks’ win on Tuesday has evened the series at two games apiece.

Giannis Praises Longtime Teammate Middleton

June 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t get along with swingman Khris Middleton during their first season together in 2013/14 as they battled one another for playing time, Antetokounmpo says he trusts his sharp-shooting sidekick “to death” now, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. With the Bucks just two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years (not a typo), Middleton put on an offensive clinic in a triumphant Game 3 victory over the Hawks, pouring in 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. “It’s great seeing this guy, man, the way we started, the way we are, the way he started and the way that he is right now, just closing games,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what we need from Khris. We need him to be aggressive. We need him to be taking over games, make good decisions, and play off him.”

Trae Young Questionable For Game 4 Due To Bone Bruise

June 28th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

1:48pm: After undergoing an MRI, Young has been diagnosed with a bone bruise to his right foot, the Hawks announced today in a press release. He’ll be listed as questionable for Game 4 on Tuesday, per the team.

8:19am: Hawks star Trae Young said after Sunday’s game that he will undergo an MRI on his injured right ankle on Monday, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes.

Young accidentally stepped on referee Sean Wright’s foot late in the third quarter, turning his ankle in the process. The third-year guard left the game and was diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Although he was able to return to action in the fourth quarter, Young admitted to reporters after the game that the injury was bothering him.

“It’s sore right now,” he said, per Bontemps. “… It’s hurting a little bit and it’s sore. I got some treatment on it. I’m going to go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is to get treatment.”

Young wasn’t walking with a noticeable limp after the game and said he’ll “hopefully” be good to go for Game 4 on Tuesday, according to Bontemps.

Still, even if Young is unable to play, it’s possible the injury will slow him down a little, affecting his usual explosiveness. Already in this postseason, we’ve seen a variety of leg injuries limit the effectiveness of guards like James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. It would be unfortunate if Young is noticeably bothered by the injury going forward, since the upstart Hawks have been giving the Bucks all they can handle in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After splitting the first two games in Milwaukee, Atlanta had a fourth-quarter lead on Sunday, but wasn’t able to hold onto that lead down the stretch. The Bucks now lead the series by a 2-1 margin.

Community Shootaround: Conference Finals Outcomes

June 27th, 2021 at 7:29pm CST by JD Shaw

With the start of the NBA Finals around the corner, it’s time to examine who might represent the East and West in the annual championship series this year.

The Bucks and Hawks are currently tied 1-1, with Milwaukee winning Game 2 on Friday night 125-91. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Hawks star Trae Young recorded just 15 points and nine turnovers.

In the West, the Suns lead the Clippers 3-1, with Game 5 set to commence on Monday night. Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard (knee) has already been ruled out for the contest. Game 4 featured some ugly shooting performances from both sides, but Phoenix prevailed to take a commanding lead in the series.

Both the Clippers and Hawks have overcome long odds numerous times during the postseason — the Clippers came back to beat the Mavericks in a seven-game first-round series, then won four straight to beat the Jazz after trailing 2-0 the next round. The Hawks, meanwhile, were not expected to make it here.

“What I like about this team is we always beat the odds,” Hawks center Clint Capela recently said, as relayed by Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “People just don’t expect us to do it. People keep doubting us, and we just keep shocking them. In Houston, it was really a championship mentality every year, so it was almost like a must-win game, every game.”

With that in mind, what do you think? Do the Clippers have enough left in the tank to pull off a third postseason miracle? Will the Hawks win another series despite being widely viewed as the underdogs?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions!

Giannis' Free Throw Routine Becoming A Distraction; Bucks Guards Focused On Playoffs Before Olympics

June 27th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks are focused on reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years and they could do without the controversy that happens every time Giannis Antetokounmpo steps to the foul line, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The two-time MVP has a lengthy free-throw routine that seems to exceed the 10-second limit for taking a shot, and fans have started counting to 10 every time he gets the ball. “Usually I take eight to nine seconds,” Antetokounmpo claims. “Borderline 10 seconds. When my coaching staff tells me to like, speed it up, I know that maybe I’m around 10. Or sometimes the referee talks to me and tells me, ‘You’ve got to speed it up.’ Then I make an effort to maybe take it a second or two seconds faster. But my mindset going into this game was go through my routine, get as many dribbles as I can, get my breath and just shoot my shot.”
Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have committed to play for Team USA in the Olympics, but they insist it won’t be a distraction, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Along with the Suns’ Devin Booker, they are they the only Team USA members still active in the playoffs. “I think I’m always focused on the immediate, what’s happening right now. That’s been my main focus, and it’s going to continue to be that,” Holiday said. “If we go the finals or whatever happens, up until that point, this is what matters.”

Herd Coach Headed To Australia

June 25th, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chase Buford is leaving his post as the Wisconsin Herd’s head coach in order to become the head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL, according to a team press release. “We are excited for Chase to pursue this opportunity with one of the best clubs in Australia,” said Herd GM Dave Dean. Buford, 32, led the Bucks’ G League team to a league-best 33-10 record before the 2019/20 season was suspended due to the pandemic.

Draft Notes: Workouts, Aluma, T. Williams, Hurt, McBride

June 25th, 2021 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Jazz are hosting pre-draft group workouts in Minneapolis from July 8-11, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the event will be open to all 30 NBA teams and the goal will be to have 48 prospects participate over that four-day period.

In past years when teams have brought in groups of prospects for pre-draft workouts, they’ve typically hosted six players at a time. If the event in Minneapolis follows a similar pattern, it could showcase two groups of six players apiece on each day from July 8-11.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Virginia Tech forward Keve Aluma is returning to school for another year, he announced on Twitter. Aluma had been testing the draft waters after 15.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 22 games (30.6 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21.
Purdue forward Trevion Williams is also pulling out of the draft and heading back to school, per a Twitter announcement. Williams put up 15.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 28 games (25.1 MPG) for the Boilemakers as a junior this year, earning All-Big Ten honors.
Duke forward Matthew Hurt has workouts on tap with the Celtics, Thunder, Pelicans, Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
West Virginia guard Miles McBride has worked out for the Knicks and Celtics in addition to interviewing with several teams, tweets Alder Almo of Empire Sports Media.