Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo not playing tonight against Indiana Pacers? Latest on 2x MVP's condition for Game 5 (April 30)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain sidelined for the upcoming Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference series on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo has been sidelined this postseason due to a left calf strain he sustained in an April 9 game against the Celtics. Ahead of Sunday's Game 4, which resulted in a loss, Coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo was cleared to run without resistance and has been doing stationary shooting.

However, the All-Star appears to still be several steps away from returning to court. Additionally, Damian Lillard is out with an Achilles injury and will miss Tuesday's potential elimination game, likely leaving Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to once again spearhead Milwaukee's offense.

In Game 4, Milwaukee was already without Damian Lillard due to an Achilles injury when Bobby Portis was dismissed just 5:01 into the first quarter. Despite these setbacks, the Bucks tied in the first quarter and trailed by only three points at halftime.

However, a 9-2 run by the opposition at the start of the third quarter put them down by 10, and they never managed to close the gap to less than five points for the remainder of the game.

Milwaukee shot 51.1% from the field and made 12 of 36 attempts from 3-point range, but they allowed the Pacers to shoot 51.7% overall. Brook Lopez stood out for Milwaukee, scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss.

What happened to Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Giannis Antetokounmpo experienced a calf strain on April 9 during the Bucks' 104-91 victory over the Boston Celtics. The injury occurred as he was jogging up the court for an offensive play, collapsing to the floor without any contact.

Initially, there was concern that Antetokounmpo might have suffered an Achilles injury, given the nature of his fall and his history with such injuries. However, the diagnosis confirmed it was a calf strain.

At the beginning, his recovery timeline was projected at one to two weeks, but it has now been extended to three weeks. Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned that Antetokounmpo was set to "go hard" in workouts to assess his readiness for recent games; however, he was not cleared to play.

How to watch the Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks?

The Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks Game 5 matchup will be aired nationally on TNT, with local streaming options available on Bally Sports WI and Bally Sports Indiana for home and away coverage.