Central Notes: Toppin, Giddey, Antetokounmpos, Haliburton, Pacers
Pacers forward Obi Toppin has scored double-digit points in seven of his last nine contests. He missed most of the season while recovering from foot surgery and has gotten more comfortable with each game, he told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
“When I’m out there on the floor, I really try not to think about my foot,” Toppin said. “Adrenaline is pumping. We’re just super fast running up and down the court. Those lobs or putbacks I got are just reactive things. I don’t think about my foot in those situations. It’s just, get the ball in the rim.”
Toppin has been on a minutes restriction since his return and has yet to play more than 23 minutes in a game. He agrees with that plan.
“It’s not frustrating,” said Toppin, who has two years and $31MM left on his contract after this season. “Obviously, we’re doing it for a reason. I trust coach’s judgment always. He’s been doing this for a long time and we have the best trainers in the world. Whatever they say, I’m going to do. I feel good out there. I know I had like 20 minutes (against the Lakers). I felt really good, but I’m still getting back. I don’t feel like I’m 100 percent back yet. I’m still getting back, getting my feet under me and still getting that feel.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Josh Giddey has three full seasons remaining on his four-year, $100MM contract. The Bulls point guard would like to know just what the front office plans to do to make the club a contender, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Everyone wants to know what’s going on,” Giddey said. “We want to know what the strategy is going forward. If you look at the way this team’s put together now, I don’t know if we’re put together to win a championship this year or whether we’re going into a rebuild or a younger phase.” Over its last 30 games, Chicago is 6-24.
- It’s logical to assume that Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s brother knows whether the superstar will remain with the Bucks or ask for a trade this offseason. That’s not the case, Eurohoops.net relays. Speaking to Toni Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo, Alex Antetokounmpo said he’s not sure, either. “I don’t know. I hope (he stays). We all love him here in Milwaukee, we all want him to stay here in Milwaukee,” said Alex , who is on a two-way deal. “So whatever he decides. I’m his family, but when I mean his family, his kids and wife decide, it’s going to be what’s best for them.”
- Tyrese Haliburton‘s recovery from an Achilles tear was enough for the Pacers guard to endure, but he had another health issue this season. Haliburton endured a bout with shingles, which he discussed on NBA on Prime (Twitter video link). “It has been so awful,” he said.
- Pacers forwards Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain) and Jarace Walker (low back bruise) will sit out Wednesday’s game against the Bulls, coach Rick Carlisle told Dopirak. Andrew Nembhard (low back) and T.J. McConnell (right hamstring) have also been ruled out due to nagging injuries, according to the injury report released Tuesday evening.
Injury Notes: Giannis, Wagner, Smart, Melton
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said on Sunday that there’s still a chance star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension; bone bruise) will be cleared to return before the end of the regular season on April 12, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
However, teammate Bobby Portis is skeptical that will happen. The veteran Bucks forward/center stated during a recent appearance on FanDuel TV (Facebook video link) that he doesn’t think it makes sense for the two-time MVP to come back at this point, with the team having been eliminated from postseason contention.
“I don’t think he’ll play another game this year, for sure,” Portis said (hat tip to Nehm). “Obviously, he’ll stay in the gym and keep his body tight and keep his game tight. But playing a game on court, I don’t think that’s in the picture at all.”
Reports earlier this month indicated that the Bucks wanted to shut Antetokounmpo down for the season and that he was resisting that plan and pushing to return to action. However, Portis made it clear that he understands why the club would be motivated to keep his superstar teammate off the floor during the final couple weeks of 2025/26, even if he recovers from his knee injury.
“If y’all talking about trading him, you don’t want any injury to knock value off or whatever,” Portis said. “That’s just business-wise, and then player-wise, obviously, you gotta look at just the total picture of what’s going on. We’re (9.5) games behind for the 10th seed and (with eight) games left, we can’t even make up ground.”
We have more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is “progressing well” as he looks to make it back from a high ankle sprain for the final stretch of the season, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Wagner has done some 5-on-5 work, according to Mosley, who said the team will see how the 24-year-old responds to today’s treatment before determining next steps. It sounds like Wagner’s return may not be far off. He has played just four times since December 7, having experienced multiple setbacks related to his ankle.
- Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed a fourth consecutive game on Monday due to a right ankle contusion, but there’s no expectation the injury should result in a long-term absence. Head coach JJ Redick said Smart remains “day-to-day” in his recovery process and potential return, per NBA reporter Mark Medina (Twitter link).
- Although De’Anthony Melton has appeared in – and started – seven of the Warriors‘ past eight games, the veteran guard isn’t at 100%, as head coach Steve Kerr explained to reporters after Melton went scoreless in 25 minutes of action in a loss to Denver on Sunday. “He’s banged up,” Kerr said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “His thumb is really bothering him, and I think he’s pressing a little bit. … De’Anthony will bounce back. He’s had a great season. His last couple games have been tough, but he’s banged up. We’ll help him get right. I have total faith in his ability to bounce back.”
Eastern Conference Postseason Field Set As Bucks Eliminated
Saturday’s loss to San Antonio mathematically eliminated the Bucks from playoff contention, capping an extremely disappointing season and setting up a resumption of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes, which could be the biggest story of the summer.
Milwaukee is the fifth Eastern team to be eliminated, joining Indiana, Brooklyn, Washington and Chicago, which means the 10 conference teams that will participate in the postseason are now set.
The Bucks’ decision to hold onto Antetokounmpo past the February 5 trade deadline signaled that the organization hoped to make a late-season push to at least reach the play-in tournament and then try to make a playoff run. That never materialized as the team has gone 9-14 since then and Antetokounmpo has played just six times due to the combination of a calf strain and a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise.
The Bucks’ strategy of keeping Antetokounmpo wasn’t accompanied by any other big moves to make the team more competitive. Milwaukee’s only deadline transaction was to get involved in a three-team trade to acquire Oklahoma City’s Ousmane Dieng, who has been a productive addition, and Phoenix’s Nigel Hayes-Davis, who was waived the next day.
Cam Thomas was a surprise addition in early February, signing for the rest of the season after being waived by Brooklyn. Although he got off to a strong start as a scoring threat off the bench, Thomas was released on Monday after 18 games with Milwaukee.
The seeds for this season’s failure were planted in last year’s playoffs when Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles. Instead of waiting a year for the veteran guard to heal, Bucks management made the controversial decision to waive him and use the stretch provision to spread his remaining $112.6MM salary over the next five years.
The newly created cap space was used to sign Myles Turner away from Indiana. Turner has provided a steady presence in the middle, even though his scoring average (11.9 PPG) and shooting numbers (44% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range) have declined from last year’s production with the Pacers.
This marks the Bucks’ first non-playoff season since 2016, and it’s just the second time since Antetokounmpo’s rookie year that they’ve failed to qualify. After today’s game, coach Doc Rivers talked about the frustrations that led up to this point, relays Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“It’s been disappointing obviously,” Rivers said. “Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had a healthy stretch and it’s been your key guys. It’s been Giannis. It’s been Dame. And you hope you can play through that, but we just haven’t had the ability. This year, having only one quote-unquote star, every other team has two and three. We needed health. We were thin. We knew that before the season started and it just didn’t go our way. All the talk and all that stuff probably didn’t help either.
“But I always try to look at silver linings and Ryan (Rollins) is one of them. Pete Nance is another one. Ous (Dieng) is one of them. And we gotta rehabilitate or get A.J. Green going again. He’s a good player. He’s played too many minutes. We’ve had no choice and I think that’s put him in a tough spot and I feel bad for him at times. Bobby (Portis) is Bobby. He’s been a pro throughout this year. We had a great talk today about it before the game. I’m so proud of him as a leader. He tries to do the right stuff. He tries to say the right things in the locker room.”
Rivers, 64, is entering the final year of his contract, and his future in Milwaukee could be tied to Antetokounmpo’s. With only six current players currently under contract for next season, plenty of change could lie ahead, whether Antetokounmpo returns or not.
Injury Notes: Giannis, Cade, Edwards, Kings, K. George, Wade
The National Basketball Players Association seemed to imply in a statement earlier this week that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to play, but that’s not the case, according to head coach Doc Rivers. As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Rivers told reporters on Wednesday that Antetokounmpo continues to recover from the left knee hyperextension and bone bruise that have sidelined him since March 15.
“He’s not (healthy),” Rivers said. “He’s progressing. He’s just not healthy. Our focus right now is just getting him healthy. We’re just trying to get Giannis cleared and healthy; that’s our only focus. All the other stuff, we stay above.”
Reporting last week suggested that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were at odds over whether he should be shut down for the rest of the season, with Milwaukee preferring to take a conservative approach and the two-time MVP pushing to return. The NBPA’s statement suggested that the Bucks are motivated to hold Giannis out of action to potentially improve their draft position, an idea Rivers downplayed.
“We didn’t have a meeting about this (statement from the NBPA),” Rivers said. “We didn’t have one discussion. (General manager) Jon Horst didn’t call me to talk about this, just to show you the concern we have.”
Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Appearing on NBA Countdown on Wednesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided health updates on Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) and Anthony Edwards (knee inflammation). According to Charania, the Pistons are optimistic that Cunningham will be able to return in time for the start of the playoffs, while the Timberwolves consider Edwards day-to-day at this point, and he could return as Saturday vs. Detroit or Monday at Dallas.
- Kings forward Keegan Murray, out since February 25 due to a left ankle sprain, is making “good progress” in his return-to-play process and is resuming contact work, the team announced on Wednesday (Twitter link via James Ham of ESPN 1320). The update suggests Sacramento plans on having Murray back before the end of the season. Veteran guard Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, underwent an MRI on his sore right foot and has been diagnosed with joint irritation of the first toe. He’ll remain out, with further updates provided as appropriate, per the Kings.
- The Wizards, who announced on March 4 that forward Kyshawn George had sustained a partial UCL tear in his left elbow and would be reevaluated in three weeks, provided an update right on schedule on Wednesday. According to the team (Twitter link), elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister confirmed this week that George has a Grade 2 distal UCL tear. The plan is to continue to treat the injury “conservatively” and evaluate the 22-year-old again next Wednesday.
- Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appeared to suffer an ankle injury during warm-ups prior to Wednesday’s contest vs. Miami, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). While Wade was held out of the game, Fedor refers to it as a “precaution,” which suggests the injury probably isn’t serious.
NBPA Responds To Bucks’ Reported Plan To Shut Down Giannis
The National Basketball Players Association has weighed in on the disagreement between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks about whether the star forward should be shut down for the rest of the 2025/26 season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Reporting last week indicated that the Bucks wanted to hold out their franchise player for the next few weeks after an injury-plagued season in which he battled knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues. Antetokounmpo, however, was said to be pushing to return to action once he recovered from his left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, despite the fact that Milwaukee has fallen out of postseason contention.
The NBPA issued a statement on Tuesday that both supported Antetokounmpo and questioned whether the NBA is committed to enforcing its player participation policy.
“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partner, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”
The NBA’s player participation policy specifically addresses a situation like this one. A team is considered to be in violation of the policy if it shuts down a healthy “star” for an extended period. The rule is designed to avoid scenarios in which tanking teams sit their best players in order to improve their draft position.
Of course, whether a player qualifies as healthy isn’t necessarily a black and white issue. It’s certainly not uncommon for players to play through minor ailments over the course of the 82-game season, and multiple medical experts may have differing opinions on whether or not a player has fully recovered from a given injury.
We still have nearly three weeks left in the regular season, so if Antetokounmpo feels as if he’s ready to return to action at some point during that window, we’ll see if the Bucks relent and activate him.
The fact that the players’ union expressed a willingness to collaborate with the league on anti-tanking measures is also noteworthy, since commissioner Adam Silver has stated in no uncertain terms that the NBA intends to implement new rules on that front ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Bucks Co-Owner Edens: Giannis Will Be Extended Or Traded
The Bucks have no intention of letting Giannis Antetokounmpo play out the final guaranteed year of his contract in 2026/27 and opt for free agency during the 2027 offseason, team co-owner Wes Edens told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“Giannis is going into the last year (of his contract),” Edens said. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that. It’s not consistent with what’s good for the organization. That’s not a Giannis issue. That’s any player that’s in their last year.”
Antetokounmpo’s contract, which pays him $54.1MM this season, includes a $58.5MM guaranteed salary for ’26/27, followed by a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. He’ll become eligible on October 1 to sign a four-year, maximum-salary extension that would be worth a projected $275MM (the exact value would depend on where the ’27/28 cap ends up).
However, if Giannis informs the Bucks this offseason that he doesn’t intend to sign that extension once he’s eligible to do so, it sounds like the team is prepared to reopen trade discussions that began in earnest prior to last month’s deadline, even if the two-time MVP doesn’t explicitly request a change of scenery.
[RELATED: Giannis Resisting Bucks’ Plan To Shut Him Down For Season]
Still, according to Shelburne, rival executives and insiders around the league are skeptical about whether the Bucks’ choice will be quite that simple.
As Shelburne explains, the team has an unusual ownership structure that involves the governor title changing hands between co-owners Edens and Jimmy Haslam every five years. In addition to controlling ownership rotating between those two men, another franchise shareholder, Jamie Dinan, is involved in major decisions. The setup has created some confusion among rival teams about who would get the final say in Milwaukee on a roster move as monumental as an Antetokounmpo trade.
“This has nothing to do with Giannis and whether he asks out,” one source told Shelburne. “It’s about who’s making the decision on whether to trade Giannis, and I don’t think anyone knows that. I deal with them all the time and honestly it depends on the day. They’re not even close to being ready to make a decision like that.”
Edens, who will be the controlling owner for two more years before handing the reins to Haslam for five years beginning in 2028, tells ESPN that his partnership with Haslam is “unbelievably good” and that he has no concerns about the arrangement, but Shelburne suggests there have been signs that Haslam’s influence within the organization is growing since he bought Marc Lasry‘s share of the team in 2023.
When longtime Bucks president Peter Feigin left the organization earlier this season, he was replaced by Haslam Sports Group executive Josh Glessing, according to Shelburne, who also hears from sources that one team discussing a potential Giannis trade last month had direct negotiations with Haslam.
“The more time goes on, the more power Jimmy’s going to have,” a source close to the team said. “And long term, it’ s going to be his anyway, so he’s not going to let the guy that’s [passing controlling ownership on] eventually dictate what it looks like.”
“We mostly dealt with (general manager Jon) Horst,” added a rival executive whose team pursued Antetokounmpo. “But our impression was that Jimmy was really the one who would decide this.”
Although Edens insists that he and Haslam are “completely united” on the Giannis situation, other teams and Bucks minority shareholders are keeping a close eye on the situation due to the way in which the relationship between Edens and Lasry fell apart before Lasry sold his stake in the franchise. Notably, Shelburne writes, the two co-owners disagreed on who to hire to replace former GM John Hammond in 2017 — Horst was eventually promoted to fill the role after the team seriously considered its own assistant GM Justin Zanik and Nuggets executive Arturas Karnisovas.
Here are a few more items of interest from Shelburne’s story, which is well worth reading in full:
- Multiple sources told ESPN that the Bucks’ asking price for Antetokounmpo prior to February’s deadline was “enormous,” with one team suggesting that Milwaukee was simply gauging the market and sought “all our draft picks and good young players.” Another rival executive said there was “no question” that the Bucks wanted to hang onto the star forward. “Because it never reached a point in time, in any of our discussions with them, where they said, ‘We will do it if you do X,'” that exec told Shelburne.
- The Warriors made an offer for Giannis that included four unprotected first-round picks, but they never seemed to gain any real momentum toward a deal, sources tell ESPN. According to Shelburne, the Bucks were more interested in pursuing concepts that would net them a young cornerstone like Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley or Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, though there’s no indication Cleveland or Philadelphia would’ve been willing to discuss those players.
- While the Bucks may be preparing to offer Antetokounmpo another maximum-salary extension during the offseason, multiple league executives believe the club would be better off accepting the best possible trade offer for him, Shelburne writes.“He’s still a game changer, but he’s 31 with a history of leg injuries,” one exec said. “And now you’d basically be trading for a guy on an expiring deal, so I’m not sure the offers they’ll get this summer are going to be better than what they already got.”
Giannis Resisting Bucks’ Plan To Shut Him Down For Season
It has been an injury-plagued season for star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has appeared in just 36 of the Bucks‘ 68 games due to knee, groin, ankle, and calf issues and is currently sidelined due to a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
With just 14 games left in the regular season and Milwaukee now six-and-a-half games out of a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks have made it clear to Antetokounmpo that they believe it would be in both parties’ best interest to have him sit out the rest of the season and focus on getting healthy for 2026/27, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
However, Antetokounmpo isn’t on board with the Bucks plan and has let the team know he wants to get back on the court immediately once he has recovered from his latest injury, according to Nehm.
Confirming Nehm’s reporting, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links) says there have been multiple meetings about Antetokounmpo’s status within the past 24 hours and that the two sides disagree about the best path forward. In an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Charania added that the 31-year-old has been “adamant” about his desire to return this season.
The Bucks must tread especially carefully with Antetokounmpo due to their desire to keep him happy in the hopes of reaching an agreement on a long-term extension with him when he becomes eligible this October. Milwaukee reportedly entertained trade offers for Giannis prior to last month’s deadline, but never came close to making a deal involving the two-time MVP, who didn’t request a trade and has repeatedly stated that his preference would be to stick with the Bucks if they have a roster capable of contending for another championship.
While they don’t want to upset their franchise player, the Bucks presumably recognize they have no path to a playoff spot this spring and would be better off sliding a little further down the lottery standings. They don’t technically control their own 2026 first-round pick, but the Bucks will receive the least favorable of their own selection and the Pelicans’ pick. At 28-40, Milwaukee remains several games ahead of New Orleans (23-46) in the standings, so even the least favorable of those two first-rounders should be a top-10 selection.
Of course, shutting down Antetokounmpo for the final few weeks of the season would also ensure that he gets a head-start on getting back to 100% health, whereas having him play in meaningless games in late March and early April would put him at risk of re-aggravating one of his previous injuries or suffering a more significant one.
Whether the Bucks plan to revisit trade talks involving their star forward or try to continue reshaping the roster around him during the offseason, having him fully healthy would be in the team’s best interest going forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Out At Least One Week Due To Knee Injury
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise and will be reevaluated in one week, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Milwaukee ruled out Antetokounmpo approximately 90 minutes before its game against Cleveland on Tuesday. Coach Doc Rivers told reporters during his pregame press conference that Antetokounmpo underwent testing on the knee, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage,’ Rivers said. “Nothing. It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (regarding a timeline).”
The Bucks also ruled out Myles Turner for Tuesday’s game due to a calf injury.
Antetokoumpo suffered his injury on Sunday, late in the third quarter of a 134-123 victory over Indiana, when he came down awkwardly on a dunk following a spin move. The two-time MVP stayed in the game for a little over a minute before exiting the rest of the night.
After the game, Antetokounmpo didn’t anticipate undergoing imaging but obviously that thinking changed over the past two days. The veteran forward has only played in 36 of the Bucks’ games this season, having battled knee, groin, and repeated calf ailments. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.
The Bucks are barely clinging to hopes of a play-in tournament berth. They’re currently 11th in the East at 28-39, five-and-a-half games behind 10th place Charlotte (34-34).
Antetokounmpo’s latest injury could extinguish all hopes of making the postseason. Following their home game on Tuesday, the Bucks embark on a four-game road swing that begins in Utah on Thursday.
Injury Notes: Edwards, Reid, Kawhi, Giannis, Harper, Kornet
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Phoenix due to right knee soreness, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s an important matchup between the two Western Conference clubs, as Minnesota has a two-game lead over the Suns for the No. 6 seed — and a guaranteed playoff berth.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Edwards was “clearly laboring” during Sunday’s road loss in Oklahoma City. It will be the 11th missed game this season for Edwards, who has been named to the All-NBA Second Team each of the past two seasons.
Sixth Man of the Year contender Naz Reid is battling an injury as well. He’s listed as questionable to suit up because of a right shoulder contusion, per the Wolves.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been downgraded from doubtful to out for Monday’s game vs. San Antonio, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. The two-time NBA Finals MVP sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Sacramento, which is why he won’t play tonight. As Murray notes (via Twitter), Leonard can only miss two more games after Monday to remain eligible for major postseason awards.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to tweak his left knee after landing awkwardly following a dunk during Sunday’s win over Indiana. While the Bucks superstar is considered questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. Cleveland, Antetokounmpo’s injury designation is still a left ankle sprain rather than anything to do with his knee, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old forward downplayed the apparent knee issue after the game and said he didn’t plan to undergo imaging.
- The Spurs will be without two key rotation members on Monday, with Dylan Harper (right calf contusion) and Luke Kornet (right knee soreness) both sidelined (Twitter link via Jared Weiss of The Athletic). It’s the second straight absence for Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, and the first absence for Kornet since February 5. However, head coach Mitch Johnson is hopeful both players will be active on Tuesday at Sacramento, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News relays (via Twitter). “If not tomorrow, very, very soon,” Johnson said. “But I’m optimistic that they got a good chance to play tomorrow.“
Central Notes: Strus, Mobley, Giannis, Turner, Zubac
Cavaliers forward Max Strus didn’t show any ill effects from the broken foot that sidelined him for several months as he made his season debut on Sunday, writes Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. Strus’ shot looked as good as ever, as he went 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from beyond the arc while scoring 24 points, but he was upset that his return resulted in a loss to Dallas.
“I wasn’t good enough. Obviously we didn’t win, so you could say all the things you want to say,” Strus said. “I’m proud of myself, yes, but at the end of the day we didn’t win the game. It’s a bad loss for us and hopefully we get the next one.”
Strus suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot while training last summer and underwent surgery in late August. He was projected to return to action within three to four months, but the recovery process lasted a lot longer than expected.
Strus was one of the first players off the Cavs’ bench on Sunday, and he wound up playing 23 minutes. Coach Kenny Atkinson indicated that his playing time will increase over the final four weeks of the season.
“I think it’s an emotional day when you witness someone go through what he has during the offseason and then struggling to get back. It’s emotional, but it’s also exciting,” Atkinson said. “And then just to get an injection of energy and the competitor he is back in the locker room. It’s good timing and will be a boost for the team, not just today but going forward.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Evan Mobley admitted feeling some disappointment with his play this season after the Cavaliers won at Dallas on Friday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com states in a subscriber-only story. “You always have high standards for yourself. I wanted to come out and dominate this year. Injuries. Different things. It doesn’t always go as planned,” Mobley said. “But you always keep going. The end goal is championship. We’re still in a good spot right now. Just got to keep stacking days. Wherever that takes you, it’s part of your journey so you can’t really get too hard on yourself. Just know things are going to turn eventually.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to return to the game after appearing to hyperextend his left knee on Sunday, but the Bucks‘ medical staff wouldn’t permit it, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee held a double-digit lead over Indiana at the time, and it was decided that the risk was too great, although Antetokounmpo had to be talked out of it. “That was the time that you gotta look back and you just gotta listen. Just gotta listen,” he said. “And I listened. But I try not to make it bigger than what it is. I felt like I could finish the game. But the training staff thought it wasn’t smart for me to do so, so I just gotta trust them and go from there.”
- Myles Turner, who spent his entire career with the Pacers before signing with the Bucks last summer, assessed how Ivica Zubac will fit into the team’s system, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Turner said it’s tough to make a judgment so soon because Zubac has only played three games with Indiana and many of his teammates are injured. “You’ve kind of yet to see it,” Turner said. “With Tyrese (Haliburton), he needs space to operate and I was able to stretch the floor for him. It’s a little bit different with Zu because while he’s a good play-maker and passer, he’s more of a low-post kind of guy. I don’t know what that spacing looks like in (coach Rick Carlisle’s) system, but it’s kind of one of those things you wait to see.”