Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bucks shared the news via Twitter/X a few hours before game time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (right adductor strain) will miss tonight’s game.
-Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 4, 2024
Antetokounmpo was ruled out due to a right adductor muscle strain. He has been playing through right patellar tendonitis but is now dealing with an adductor strain.
Antetokounmpo was ruled a game-time decision earlier in the day. This will be the first game he will miss this season. It is unclear how long this injury could keep him out of action.
With Antetokounmpo now ruled out, Bobby Portis and Andre Jackson will play more prominent roles against their undefeated division rivals.
The Bucks played the Cavaliers on Saturday, and the game ended in dramatic fashion. Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell scored a last-second winner as the Cavaliers advanced to 7-0 and continued the Bucks’ losing streak.
The Bucks will face the Cavaliers again, and Milwaukee will look to end a five-game losing streak to their division rivals.
Antetokounmpo has been the linchpin guiding the Bucks thus far, though their record doesn’t reflect that. He leads the team in points and rebounds, averaging 31.0 points per game and 12.3 rebounds per game, along with 6.3 assists and 0.5 blocks and steals.
The Bucks currently hold a 1-5 record and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Things were not good for the Bucks at the beginning of the season. Their defense has been terrible, and they are still without their third best player, striker Khris Middleton.
It is unclear when Middleton will return to the lineup, but the Bucks may use him sooner rather than later.
Antetokounmpo had arguably his best game of the year on Saturday when he scored 34 points on 15-for-27 shooting, 16 rebounds, nine assists and one steal in 39 minutes of action.
The Bucks are now huge underdogs in this contest, as the spread has risen to +9.5. The Bucks money line is also set at +350.
According to ESPN Analytics, the Bucks have only a 28.3 percent chance of winning the game compared to the Cavaliers, who have a 71.7 percent chance of winning their eighth straight.
This will be the second of four games against the Cavaliers this season and the second game in three days.
Notification is set for 7 PM ET.
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