Both of the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar veterans were listed on the injury report ahead of their crucial matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. With the Lakers battling a slew of injuries, the question remained—would the Bucks’ All-Star duo be available for this key road game?
According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Lillard, who was initially probable with a sore right groin, saw his status downgraded to questionable due to a sore right soleus, a calf muscle. This latest injury was unexpected for the 6-foot-2 point guard, adding further uncertainty to Milwaukee’s lineup. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo, 30, was considered probable to play through right patella tendinopathy. The two-time MVP was set to take full advantage of the depleted Lakers roster at Crypto.com Arena.
Los Angeles entered the contest severely shorthanded, missing key forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, both ruled out in advance. Additionally, backup guard Gary Trent Jr. was listed as probable while managing left patella tendinopathy. The Bucks were also dealing with internal roster struggles, as forward/center Bobby Portis continued serving his 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy. Portis had unknowingly taken Tramadol, a banned painkiller, believing it to be Toradol, which is permitted under league rules.
With Portis sidelined, Milwaukee relied on newly acquired center Jericho Sims to soak up minutes in the frontcourt. However, Sims recently suffered a right thumb UCL sprain and is expected to miss four weeks, sidelining him until just before the playoffs. Despite these setbacks, the Bucks remained poised to capitalize on the Lakers’ weakened rotation.
Ahead of tip-off, head coach Doc Rivers provided an official update on his stars’ availability. Per Nehm, Rivers confirmed that Antetokounmpo and Trent would play, while Lillard was “probably out.” This left the Bucks’ leading scorer primed for a dominant performance against the Lakers’ backup big men.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles faced an exhausting schedule, playing their sixth game in just eight nights. First-year head coach JJ Redick opted to rest several key players, including LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jarred Vanderbilt. Star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were also unavailable, leaving the Lakers scrambling to fill minutes. This opened the door for rookie Bronny James—LeBron’s 20-year-old son—to potentially see extended action.
With Milwaukee sitting at 38-30, Antetokounmpo appeared poised to deliver another elite performance. If he plays at least nine of the Bucks’ remaining 14 games, he will likely secure another All-NBA First Team selection. Through 56 games, he’s averaging 30.2 points on 59.9% shooting from the field, along with 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest. The stage was set for a dominant outing against a depleted Lakers squad.
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