THINGS TURNED AROUND: I Am Sorry To Say This ”IT IS OVER” Bucks MVP Has Confirmed To Leave Bucks Because Of… SEE MORE
When the Milwaukee Bucks meet the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, they hope to have star Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the starting lineup.
With 13 games left, the Nets (26-43) are losing ground on the Bucks (44-25) in their quest for a position in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Bucks will take on the Nets (26-43) to start a three-game homestand. With four straight losses, the Nets are now 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in position.
On Wednesday, Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game as Milwaukee fell to the Boston Celtics 122-119 on the road, behind by as many as 21 points. The two-time MVP stayed at home to tend to his hamstring strain on the left side.
He’s feeling good, not great,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before Wednesday’s game. “Those things are something you don’t take a chance on. Especially now. … Giannis probably would’ve come (to Boston) if it was up to him, but these are the ones you just have to say no and let him get better.”
Damian Lillard scored 32 points in the loss to the Celtics, while Bobby Portis added 24 points and 15 rebounds. Milwaukee rallied in the fourth quarter before falling to 3-2 without Antetokounmpo this season.
“It was one of those games where they kept getting the lead, we kept fighting back. As far as that, you love that,” Rivers said. “We end up shooting the ball better than them. …
“We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds with turnovers, offensive rebounds, bad possessions defensively. All of those are great things for us to watch film and to learn and get better. This is a good learning opportunity for us. That’s how I look at it.”
