The Milwaukee Bucks will wrap up their home slate this season when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night in a rematch of a game earlier this week.
It will not be a potential final sendoff for Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, as the superstar already has been ruled out for the game because of “left knee hyperextension, bone bruise,” according to the injury report.
The NBA continues to investigate the dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (31-49) regarding his injury status, as he has voiced his desire to play despite the Bucks not medically clearing him.
“You have to make tough decisions in tough circumstances, and the lens, again, is to make the best professional judgment that we can that’s best for him and us regarding his health,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst told The Athletic.
“Of course, I care about what he feels and what he cares about. And I have his entire career. There’s no gamesmanship here. There’s no angling. We just care about doing what’s right for him and for us.”
Antetokounmpo’s brothers, Thanasis and Alex, are on the Bucks’ active roster. Had they played in a game with Giannis, they would have become the first trio of brothers to do so in NBA history. They already have made history by being on the same active roster.
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 13th consecutive game on Wednesday. Milwaukee fell for the second straight game as the Pistons won in Detroit 137-111.
Ryan Rollins returned from injury to lead the Bucks with 23 points. Ousmane Dieng added 17 while Jericho Sims contributed a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
“It was awesome, it was good for Jericho. In a rough season, a rough night, playing the best team in the East. I thought our guys did well,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.
Both Milwaukee and Brooklyn have been eliminated from postseason contention.
The Nets (20-60) come into Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back set after a 123-94 blowout loss at home Thursday to the Indiana Pacers.
The setback ended a two-game winning streak for Brooklyn, its first since early March. E.J. Liddell led the way with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, and Ben Saraf added 19 points.
The Nets played with just a seven-man rotation, with five players playing at least 37 minutes. Thursday also marked the NBA-leading 26th game Brooklyn has scored under 100 points this season. The Bucks are second in the NBA with 16 games of less than 100 points.
“The effort and the purpose was there, we took the right shots, they just didn’t go in. I was happy with the shots that I saw,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said.
On the injury front, Milwaukee’s report outside of Antetokounmpo is still lengthy with Kevin Porter Jr. (knee surgery) out for the season and Bobby Portis (wrist), Myles Turner (ankle) and Kyle Kuzma (Achilles) each listed as out.
Brooklyn was without Nic Claxton (illness), Noah Clowney (ankle), Egor Demin (plantar fascia), Terance Mann (patella tendinosis), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring), among a list of 10 players.
The Nets have the chance to win the four-game season series over Milwaukee for the second consecutive season with a victory as they lead 2-1.
The Nets won a tight one over Milwaukee 96-90 on Tuesday in Brooklyn, led by 21 points from E.J. Liddell and 19 from Ben Saraf. AJ Green led Milwaukee with 20 points while Taurean Prince added 16 with 11 rebounds.
