Bucks fans can exhale Wednesday morning as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s achilles tendon did not tear Tuesday after a non-contact leg injury had the league worried for the worst.
ESPN reports that Antetokounmpo is dealing with a calf strain, which, while not ideal, is certainly a far better scenario regarding what looked like a dreaded injury that could potentially have robed the Bucks of a playoff run in 2024 and perhaps beyond.
The 6-foot-11 Greek Freak went down in pain holding his calf while running up the floor during Tuesday’s crucial victory over Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Boston Celtics.
Antetokounmpo had to be helped off the court before walking to the locker room under his own power.
“High, I would say that,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said when asked what level of concern he had regarding the injury. “But he’s Giannis, I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now so we’re just going to hope for the best.”
The Bucks have three regular season games left and are one game ahead of the Knicks as they try and hold onto the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo is unlikely to play any of the next three games, as even the mildest of calf strains is still a cause for concern and carries a one-to-two week timetable for return.
If the season ended today, the Bucks would likely play the Heat or Sixers in the first round, depending on the results of the play-in tournament.
The No. 1 seed Bucks were knocked out in the first round of the 2023 playoffs by the No. 8 seed Heat, marking just the fourth time in NBA history that happened and the first since 2011.
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