Giannis Final Agree Top Leave Bucks To Join Thunder After The Match Due To…
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Sunday matchup between two championship hopefuls. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status for the game was initially not certain.
Antetokounmpo was listed as probable with left hamstring tendinopathy. He missed two games but was active for the Bucks’ prior game, which is a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
The only other Bucks player listed on the injury report was Khris Middleton, who is also listed as probable due to a left ankle sprain. He missed Milwaukee’s last game but played in the previous two. Doc Rivers indicated that both Antetokonmpo and Middleton participated in the team’s last practice, though he noted that it was a lighter practice.
The Thunder don’t have any injuries listed on the injury report.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 season
In 65 games this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists per game while shooting a career-high 61.4 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from deep. The addition of Damian Lillard has helped Giannis find more space to score inside the arc, where the already dominant paint scorer has upped his frequency of shots.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, at 45-25, are the second seed in the Eastern Conference heading into their matchup with the Thunder. They won’t catch the Boston Celtics but do have to keep winning to stay ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks.
The Bucks are 3-2 without Antetokounmpo this season. And their only majorly negative result was getting demolished by the Cavaliers in a 40-point loss. They came close to coming back for a win on the road against the Celtics and have beaten good teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns while also beating the inferior Toronto Raptors.
Fortunately for the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been officially given the greenlight to play against Toronto. Furthermore, Khris Middleton will be able to suit up. AJ Green, who has been added to the injury report due to illness, was unfortunately ruled out though.
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Milwaukee Bucks: 7 Players Score in Double Figures In Win Over Oklahoma City Thunder…
The Milwaukee Bucks had seven different players score in double figures on Sunday afternoon against the Oklahoma City Thunder. To no surprise, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 30 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, and one block for the Bucks in a 118-93 win over the Thunder.
He continues to dominate on a game-to-game basis for Milwaukee this season. No one else on the team on Sunday against Oklahoma City reached 20 points, but it goes to show that different players are willing to contribute to the Bucks moving forward.
With the win over the Thunder, Milwaukee improves to 46-25 on the season and they now have a three-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. As for Oklahoma City, they drop to 49-21 on the season and they are 0.5 games back of the number one seed in the Western Conference behind the Denver Nuggets.
Bobby Portis Jr. was the second-leading scorer for the Bucks and he continues to make his case for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Portis Jr. scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, recorded two assists, and recorded three steals. He has been important to Milwaukee’s success this season.
Brook Lopez also contributed for Milwaukee with 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, and Damian Lillard each scored 11 points for the Milwaukee Bucks. Jae Crowder also scored 10 points for Milwaukee against Oklahoma City. Doc Rivers’s squad has been playing better as of late.
Mark Daigneault can very well be the Coach of the Year in the NBA this season for the Thunder and with the way they have been all season long. Josh Giddey led the way for the Oklahoma City Thunder with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 12 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Milwaukee’s defense did a very good job of containing Gilgeous-Alexander all game long. He has had several 30-point performances this season and that is one of the reasons why the Thunder have been so good. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be a candidate for NBA MVP.
There is a chance that the Thunder and the Bucks could meet in the NBA Finals this season. They both are very good basketball teams.