Giannis, Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis probable to play in Martin Luther Day King game vs. Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks are set to welcome back superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for their Martin Luther King Day game against the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks' last two games due to left knee soreness. Without Antetokounmpo to drive their attack on both ends, Milwaukee dropped their back-to-back set against the Miami Heat and fell to 27-16 for the season.
The Greek Freak returns
The Bucks have been lukewarm lately, going an even 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Greek Freak, though, has missed three of those games as he and the team try to manage his sore knee and his workload in general. With the team still missing All-Star wingman Khris Middleton, Antetokounmpo has had to shoulder more responsibilities and is playing 33.7 minutes per game—the highest his minutes have been in the last five seasons.
Despite the added burden, the 28-year-old has been absolutely phenomenal this season. During an eight-game stretch that began on December 19 last year, Antetokounmpo averaged a whopping 39.1 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. It was during this stretch that he scored his career-high of 55 points against the Washington Wizards.
However, Antetokounmpo has also shown he is just human. In the last three games, he is averaging slightly over 12 points and has scored in single digits twice. The last time he played, Antetokounmpo managed just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Reinforcements coming
The Bucks have also listed All-Star guard Jrue Holiday and off-the-bench spark Bobby Portis as probable. However, the team will be missing the services of Joe Ingles, who is dealing with a knee issue, and Serge Ibaka, who continues to be out due to personal reasons.
Will this be enough against the rejuvenated Indiana Pacers? We will just have to wait and see. Milwaukee will certainly be hoping that the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo can help them get back on track when they face Indiana. You will definitely want to tune in for this marquee matchup.
