MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo may be close to returning from the calf strain that has caused the two-time MVP to miss the Milwaukee Bucks’ past 15 games.
The Bucks released an injury report that listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful for Monday night’s game against the Boston Celtics.
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Antetokounmpo, 31, has not played in a game since straining his right calf in a 102-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 23. A right calf strain also sidelined him for three weeks in December.
Antetokounmpo has missed a career-high 29 games this season, 23 of which were due to calf strains. This season, the Bucks are 15-15 without Antetokounmpo and 11-18 without him.
His return comes as the Bucks work their way into the playoffs as they seek their tenth straight playoff berth.
Milwaukee is 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind 10th-place Charlotte. The teams ranked seventh through tenth during the regular season will compete in the tournament for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
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The Bucks posted an 8-2 record without Antetokounmpo from February 3 to 25, but have lost their last two games by a combined 52 points. The Bucks lost 120-97 to Chicago on Sunday, outscoring 33-8 in the fourth quarter, ending an 11-game skid for the Bulls.
Antetokounmpo averaged 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. If he plays enough games to be among the league leaders, he’ll be eighth in the NBA in points, ninth in rebounds and outside the top 25 in assists.
He was selected to his 10th consecutive All-Star Game this season, although he was unable to play in the game due to injury.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba