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The Milwaukee Bucks have been pretty underwhelming since claiming the NBA Cup, as they have won only two of their last five games. This is in large part because Giannis Antetokounmpo has only played in one game due to an illness he's been battling. As a result, the Bucks superstar has missed four straight games.
Once again, Antetokounmpo finds himself on Milwaukee's injury report ahead of the team's final game before the calendar flips to 2025. On Tuesday afternoon, the Bucks will face the Indiana Pacers, a team that shared many battles with the Bucks during the 2023-24 season. Between Giannis' career-high 64-point night against the Pacers last year and constant altercations breaking out on the court, these two teams share a lot of history. That is why the Bucks will need their superstar healthy and on the court.
This has led many fans to ask the question, “Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing vs. the Pacers?”
Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update
Originally finding himself listed as questionable to play against the Pacers due to his battle with a non-COVID illness, Giannis has since been upgraded to available and will play on Tuesday, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Both Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have been sick since their NBA Cup championship, yet Lillard recently returned to the court in the Bucks' previous game against the Chicago Bulls. In a total of 35 minutes against Chicago, Lillard registered 29 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. However, the Bulls defeated the Bucks 116-111, moving Milwaukee to 16-14 overall this season.
Despite losing back-to-back games, the Bucks still find themselves above the play-in region of the Eastern Conference standings, but the Atlanta Hawks have jumped them for the 5-seed in the conference. Heading into the new year, Milwaukee would love nothing more than to start stringing together some wins, especially since each of their next four opponents, including Indiana, own sub-.500 records.
With Antetokounmpo returning on Tuesday against the Pacers, Bobby Portis will revert back to his bench role. Over the last four games without Antetokounmpo on the court, Portis has averaged 21.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor.
So, when it comes to the question of whether Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing on Tuesday before the start of 2025, the Bucks have upgraded him to available for this Eastern Conference clash to end 2024.
