NBA Finals: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Unlikely to Play Game 1 vs. Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks have done a fantastic job in the NBA Playoffs while shorthanded. After having their top star Giannis Antetokounmpo available to them for the first 15 games of their 2020-2021 playoff run, the former MVP went down with a knee injury, which ended his Game 4 performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals early.

When Antetokounmpo left the court late in the third quarter a few games ago, he finished the matchup with 14 points in 24 minutes. A bad game for him became worse as he suffered a knee injury while his team was down.

After getting helped up off the court and escorted back to the locker room, it seemed there was only a matter of time before the Bucks ruled their big man out for the rest of the game. Sure enough, that's what happened.

Although Milwaukee lost its Game 4 matchup, they hoped to get Giannis back in time for their Game 5 performance. Unfortunately, his status was in serious doubt. Although the MRI results showed no structural damage, the Bucks still listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful for Game 5 versus the Hawks.

As expected, he didn't play. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo's absence didn't hurt their ability to snag another postseason win over the Hawks. Without the All-Star, Milwaukee went up 3-2 over Atlanta with an 11-point victory.

In the following game, the Bucks were in the same position. Antetokounmpo was doubtful and eventually ruled out. However, they won by 11 points again and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals.

With Game 1 of the finals matchup against the Phoenix Suns approaching, the Bucks are once again unlikely to play with Antetokounmpo. Although they won't rule him out entirely, the trend of the former MVP heading into the matchup listed as doubtful continues. 

Without a timeline for return in place, it's unclear when the Bucks expect Giannis to get back on the court. While it's been reported he's progressing well and was pushing to make his finals debut on Tuesday, the chances of that actually happening are slim, considering the Bucks are already leaning more towards ruling him out than playing him.