Is Giannis Antetokounmpo Playing? Full Bucks vs Bulls Injury Report Dropped

Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) tries to save the ball from going out of bounds during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) tries to save the ball from going out of bounds during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks will play their division rival, the Chicago Bulls, on Saturday for their 30th game of the 2024-25 campaign.

The Bucks will look to improve on their 17th win this season, and they'll do so against the lowly Bulls. The Bucks are the better team on paper; however, they could be at a disadvantage as they could be without their superstar forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, for the fourth game in a row.

The Bucks superstar was listed as questionable due to an illness. Antetokounmpo has missed three straight games and will miss Saturday's matchup as he continues to battle an illness. With Antetokounmpo not playing against the Bulls, veteran Bobby Portis will likely continue to see a bump in minutes.

Luckily, the Bucks have had a solid record without Antetokounmpo in this mini stretch, recording a 2-1 record in three games. One of those wins came against the Bulls on Monday, Dec. 23, on the road. The Bucks will look to do the same on the road without Antetokounmpo.

Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been able to keep their head above water as their star forward, Khris Middleton, has played well and appears to find his groove. Middleton has been the team's leading scorer in the last two games, recording 21 points in each game, along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and has shot 60 percent or better in 20-plus minutes.

The Bucks have been solid without Antetokounmpo, but things are better with him in the lineup. As we approach the end of December, he is on pace to compete for his third NBA MVP award.

The 30-year-old has been one of the top MVP candidates thus far, averaging 32.7 points per game, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 61 percent from the field and 22 percent from three in 24 games and 35.0 minutes of action.

The Bucks are 5-4 against opponents from the Central Division. Milwaukee is 2/3 in games, which is decided by fewer than four points. The Bulls enter this match having lost three straight games.

The Bucks have played better recently after their horrid start at the beginning of the season. In their last 10 games, they have a 6-4 record and have averaged  110.9 points, 41.9 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.9 steals, and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points.

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