Bucks' Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Both in Jeopardy of Missing Bulls Game

Milwaukee could be without both its All-Stars for a fourth straight game.

Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrate after a play during the 3rd quarter of the Emirates NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks could be without their two best players for a fourth straight game on Saturday night.

Per the Bucks' latest injury report (released via the club's official X account), eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and eight-time All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could both miss the club's tilt against the Chicago Bulls. Both are questionable with non-COVID-19 illnesses.

Lillard has been on the shelf for four games already, while Antetokounmo's tally of consecutive absences is at three. They haven't played together since the Bucks' triumphant 97-81 NBA Cup championship win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 17.

On Monday against the Bulls, the Bucks survived just fine without their All-Stars. Milwaukee blew out Chicago, 112-91, thanks in large part to role players Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and ex-Bull Bobby Portis all stepping up. Middleton and Lopez each chipped in 21 points, while Ports (starting for Antetokounmpo) notched a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double.

All told, Milwaukee has gone 2-1 across its past three contests sans Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Against a mediocre Bulls club that plays guards at both forward spots with alarming frequency, the jumbo-sized Bucks enjoy a nice size advantage.

Per the league's latest assembly of team injury reports, Chicago has yet to unveil its own roster injuries. AJ Johnson and Chris Livingston are both once again sidelined with non-COVID-19 illnesses of their own. Tyler Smith will also miss the action, as he remains on assignment with Milwaukee's G League club in Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd.

Middleton, a former three-time All-Star, enjoyed another great game in a narrow 111-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. He scored 21 points for the second straight game, on 8-of-13 shooting from the field (3-of-6 from long range) and 2-of-3 shooting from the foul line, while also dishing out five assists, grabbing five rebounds, and swiping one steal. On the year, Middleton is averaging 12.8 points on .444/.452/.800 shooting splits, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals a night across just 22.1 minutes per.

The 6-foot-7 Texas A&M product appears to be, finally, rounding into form, eight games into his return from offseason bilateral ankle surgeries. He has been downgraded to merely probable to play, as the Bucks continue to monitor his recovery.

Chicago does have an arsenal of talented scorers, led by former two-time All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The club is one of the league's most prolific 3-point shooters, with their 44 triple tries a night ranking second in the NBA. But the Bulls play very little defense, and lack much size at the forward spot. They could be in for another long night against Milwaukee, with or without the Bucks' best players.

At 16-13, the Bucks are currently the Eastern Conference's No. 5 seed. The 13-18 Bulls, losers of three straight, are the No. 10 seed.

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