OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks won’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard available for their Friday night game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Bucks released an injury report Friday afternoon that ruled Lillard out with a sore left adductor. The Bucks already had announced Wednesday that Antetokounmpo would miss the rest of the regular season with a strained left calf.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before the game that Lillard’s injury is not serious.
“I just don’t want to — we’ve had enough,” Rivers said of dealing with injuries. “So we want to make sure that he’s good.”
The Bucks could clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a win over the Thunder, or Sunday at Orlando. Rivers said he’s prioritizing health.
“Listen, we’d love to get the two seed,” Rivers said. “We need to win a game. So that’s at play. But it’s not going to — let’s say, Sunday, Dame (Lillard) wasn’t right. We’re not going to play him. Otherwise, something happens there and you’re in a lot of trouble. So we want the two seed, there’s no doubt about it. But we want to be healthy, too.”
Khris Middleton will be available for Milwaukee after missing the Bucks’ victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Bucks have been monitoring Middleton’s workload after a sprained left ankle caused the three-time All-Star to sit out 16 straight games this season.
This will be the Bucks’ ninth game without Lillard and eighth game without Antetokounmpo this season. The Bucks have gone 1-7 without Lillard and 4-3 without Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks also announced Friday that reserve guard AJ Green would miss the final two games of the regular season after spraining his left ankle against Orlando.
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