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The Milwaukee Bucks will have a few more players available on April 3 when they face the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum, as the team has decided to get players ready for the remaining home games down the stretch. The game against the Celtics will be the Bucks’ third-to-last of the season in Milwaukee.
Boston (50-25) heads in as one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams and has been bolstered by the return of Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in the NBA playoffs.
Milwaukee (30-45) could use a loss to stay within striking distance of Chicago (29-46) for the ninth-worst record in the league and slightly better lottery odds for a top pick in the upcoming draft. A loss could also help close the percentage point gap with New Orleans (25-51), which can swap draft positions with Milwaukee should the Bucks’ pick be lower in the draft order.
No.
The Bucks continue to hold Giannis Antetokounmpo out of games after he suffered a hyperextension of, and bone bruise in, his left knee on March 15. The game against Boston will be the 10th straight game he’s missed in 19 days. Immediately following the game in which he sustained the injury, Antetokounmpo made it clear he thought he could finish the game. And despite the Bucks saying he suffered no structural damage on March 17, the team has ruled him out.
That decision has rankled Antetokounmpo, which resulted in a statement on Antetokounmpo’s behalf from the National Basketball Players Association (March 24) and an acknowledgement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the league would look into it (March 25). Antetokounmpo has continued to go through extended pregame workouts, and as of April 3 the Journal Sentinel has learned the league is indeed inquiring about the injury and Antetokounmpo’s actual ability to play.
The regular season ends on April 12 in Philadelphia.
More: What does Giannis Antetokounmpo want? He wants to retire with the Milwaukee Bucks
Current Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has ceded some of his in-game play-calling duties to top assistant Darvin Ham, telling the Journal Sentinel on April 1, "He's the head coach. Darvin Ham is a head coach in the NBA and should be. I'm looking at this as trying to let the world see that."
Ham had taken a broader role for the Bucks' win over Dallas on March 31 and that continued in Houston in a tough loss with a short-handed roster on April 1. Ham was the Los Angeles Lakers head coach from 2022-24 and went 90-74 in the regular season. The Lakers won the 2023 NBA Cup title and advanced to the Western Conference finals that year.
The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
It’s a great question, as news came down this week that Main Streets Sports, the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, will be dissolved and force the Bucks to find a temporary, one-year home for 2026-27. After that, the NBA will bundle their broadcast rights into a bigger group of teams to sell to a different network or streaming service.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the Bucks (along with all the other NBA teams currently under the Main Street Sports umbrella) did not get paid this season. Perhaps the team can recoup “as much as” 60% of its rights fees through the bankruptcy process.
The Celtics are 17.5-point favorites over the Bucks, with the over/under set at 217.5 points per BetMGM.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Who is playing tonight vs. Celtics?
Continue reading...
Boston (50-25) heads in as one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams and has been bolstered by the return of Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in the NBA playoffs.
Milwaukee (30-45) could use a loss to stay within striking distance of Chicago (29-46) for the ninth-worst record in the league and slightly better lottery odds for a top pick in the upcoming draft. A loss could also help close the percentage point gap with New Orleans (25-51), which can swap draft positions with Milwaukee should the Bucks’ pick be lower in the draft order.
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Is Giannis playing?
No.
The Bucks continue to hold Giannis Antetokounmpo out of games after he suffered a hyperextension of, and bone bruise in, his left knee on March 15. The game against Boston will be the 10th straight game he’s missed in 19 days. Immediately following the game in which he sustained the injury, Antetokounmpo made it clear he thought he could finish the game. And despite the Bucks saying he suffered no structural damage on March 17, the team has ruled him out.
That decision has rankled Antetokounmpo, which resulted in a statement on Antetokounmpo’s behalf from the National Basketball Players Association (March 24) and an acknowledgement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the league would look into it (March 25). Antetokounmpo has continued to go through extended pregame workouts, and as of April 3 the Journal Sentinel has learned the league is indeed inquiring about the injury and Antetokounmpo’s actual ability to play.
The regular season ends on April 12 in Philadelphia.
More: What does Giannis Antetokounmpo want? He wants to retire with the Milwaukee Bucks
Darvin Ham in the coaching spotlight
Current Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has ceded some of his in-game play-calling duties to top assistant Darvin Ham, telling the Journal Sentinel on April 1, "He's the head coach. Darvin Ham is a head coach in the NBA and should be. I'm looking at this as trying to let the world see that."
Ham had taken a broader role for the Bucks' win over Dallas on March 31 and that continued in Houston in a tough loss with a short-handed roster on April 1. Ham was the Los Angeles Lakers head coach from 2022-24 and went 90-74 in the regular season. The Lakers won the 2023 NBA Cup title and advanced to the Western Conference finals that year.
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, out (left knee hyperextension and bone bruise)
- Kevin Porter Jr., out (right knee synovitis)
- Bobby Portis Jr., out (left wrist sprain)
- Gary Trent Jr., questionable (left hip pointer)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo, questionable (left calf strain)
- Ryan Rollins, probable (right hip strain)
- Jericho Sims, probable (right patella tendinopathy)
Bucks probable starters
- Guards: Ryan Rollins, Ousmane Dieng
- Forwards: Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims
- Center: Myles Turner
What time is the Bucks game on?
The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
What channel will Bucks games be on next season?
It’s a great question, as news came down this week that Main Streets Sports, the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, will be dissolved and force the Bucks to find a temporary, one-year home for 2026-27. After that, the NBA will bundle their broadcast rights into a bigger group of teams to sell to a different network or streaming service.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the Bucks (along with all the other NBA teams currently under the Main Street Sports umbrella) did not get paid this season. Perhaps the team can recoup “as much as” 60% of its rights fees through the bankruptcy process.
Bucks vs. Celtics odds
The Celtics are 17.5-point favorites over the Bucks, with the over/under set at 217.5 points per BetMGM.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Who is playing tonight vs. Celtics?
Continue reading...
