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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action on Sunday. The two-time MVP, who had been dealing with a right calf strain for the past eight games, put up 29 points and 8 rebounds to guide his team to a 112-103 win over the red-hot Chicago Bulls. Tonight, Milwaukee will need him once again as they take on the Charlotte Hornets, but will he be available?

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Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight against the Hornets?

Yes, the Greek Freak will be back in action tonight. Although the 31-year-old has only returned from a major setback, given that he clocked 25 minutes, he should be able to take the court tonight. Of course, this will be a huge boost for the Bucks, who are 10-8 with him in the lineup, which drops to 3-11 without him.

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So, his presence will massively help the Bucks. More so, because he’s also been playing at an MVP level despite missing several games. So far, he has averaged 28.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. However, even though Giannis Antetokounmpo is back, Milwaukee does have some other injuries to deal with in the meantime.

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The Hornets vs the Bucks injury reports for December 29th

Here’s everything you need to know about both rosters ahead of tonight’s matchup:

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Milwaukee Bucks injury report

While Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in action, the Bucks are still far away from a fully healthy roster. That’s because Taurean Prince will be on the sidelines after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in his neck. This is a huge blow for Milwaukee, as Prince has been a solid role player for the franchise.

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However, the Bucks’ troubles don’t end there, as Gary Trent Jr. is also dealing with an injury. He is questionable for tonight’s clash because of a calf injury. His absence will also daunt the Bucks, as he’s been instrumental for their backcourt, which has lacked depth. Nonetheless, that settles the score for the Bucks, but what about their opponents?

Charlotte Hornets injury report

As for the Hornets, they’ve been hard hit with injuries. Tonight, they will miss Kon Knueppel and others. The rookie star was having a great time this season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. That was until he suffered an ankle injury, because of which he will miss tonight’s action.

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Nonetheless, apart from him, Charlotte will also be without the likes of Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kalkbrenner. While Plumlee is suffering from a groin injury, Kalkbrenner will not be playing tonight due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Sion James is also questionable for this clash against the Bucks because of an illness.

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Lastly, Grant Williams is also out for tonight with a knee injury and has been ruled out for Monday’s game. Having said that, does that mean the Hornets will make changes to their lineup? That’ll be something we’ll have to see as we await tip-off. However, until that happens, here are the predicted lineups for both teams.

Predicted lineups for the Hornets vs the Bucks

Here’s how the Milwaukee Bucks could lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo:

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PositionPlayer
PGKevin Porter Jr.
SGRyan Rollins
SFAJ Green
PFGiannis Antetokounmpo
CMyles Turner

And here’s how the Charlotte Hornets could start amid their injury issues:

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PositionPlayer
PGLaMelo Ball
SGCollin Sexton
SFBrandon Miller
PFMiles Bridges
CMoussa Diabate

This is how both teams could lineup for tonight’s clash. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top tonight. However, if we had to pick one favorite, it would be the Bucks given their impressive record with Giannis Antetokounmpo. So, Milwaukee should secure it back to back wins against the Hornets. But again, in the NBA, you cannot underestimate your opponents, as we eagerly await tip-off.

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Written by

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Rishi Rajpoot

1,457 Articles

Rishi Rajpoot is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with over a year of experience in digital sports media. Specializing in NBA and football coverage, his work has reached a wide readership, boosting fan engagement through timely reporting, player features, and game analysis. At ES, he collaborates closely with editors and social media teams to ensure his coverage resonates across platforms and delivers value to fans. Before joining EssentiallySports, Rishi contributed to football coverage at Cricfut, where his match reports and feature stories expanded the site’s digital presence. With a strong grasp of sports journalism, audience research, and digital strategy, he combines storytelling with an understanding of how fans consume sports online. Passionate about growing engaged sports communities, Rishi continues to bring sharp insight and energy to his NBA beat.

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Ved Vaze

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