MILWAUKEE – According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s left Achilles tendon is totally intact. Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI on his left calf following the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, April 9.
Wojnarowski reported. Antetokounmpo’s return to the court will be contingent on how soon his calf heals.
Antetokounmpo was coming up the court following Boston’s Derrick White’s 3-pointer late in the third quarter when he grabbed his left calf and took a seat on the floor before being helped off the court.
“Anytime you see one of your teammates go down, I think it’s a real level of concern,” Bucks player Damian Lillard said. “We spend more time together than we would with our family. I believe that was the most important thing. And for it to be your greatest player, the most important element of our squad, at this stage in the season, it was like a ‘Oh, (damn)’ moment, especially since there was no one else around.”
Lillard said he was encouraged to see Antetokounmpo put weight on his leg following the injury.
Bucks officials stated that Antetokounmpo sustained a left soleus strain. The soleus is a muscle in the calf.
The injury occurred just as the Bucks were preparing for the playoffs. The Bucks have three games left in the regular season.
After an MRI, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s left Achilles tendon is fully intact and his return to play will come with how quickly his left calf strain heals, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2024
“We’re going to need him, so if he’s got to get rest, if he’s got to sit out these (next) couple of games to be ready for the playoffs, we need him to be as close to 100% as he can be,” Khris Middleton, who plays for the Bucks, said
Lillard mentioned that he dealt with a similar issue last season while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard recalls returning from a calf injury after eight or nine days, only to injure his soleus. Lillard says he ended up missing another two weeks.
“I know that feeling,” Lillard added.
Antetokounmpo has missed three games since mid-March due to tendinopathy in his left hamstring. In addition, he missed a game on March 4 due to left Achilles tendonitis.
This was only the fifth occasion in the previous 30 games that the Bucks had Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Middleton available.
They are now concerned about how long it will be before all three are back on the floor together.
After the game, Rivers was asked about his degree of concern.
“High, I would say,” Rivers responded. “His name is Giannis. I believe everyone feels the same way I do right now. “We’ll just hope for the best.”
