The Milwaukee Bucks will be back in action tonight against the Chicago Bulls after suffering a humiliating defeat last night. The Bucks were soundly defeated 125-104 by the Memphis Grizzlies last night, thanks to Ja Morant’s impressive performance. It’s safe to say that the Bucks missed Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with a calf strain.

In his absence, Milwaukee has struggled big time, dropping to 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-19 record. So, the storied franchise needs Antetokounmpo back now more than ever. Having participated in practice recently, many expected the Greek Freak to make a return on Friday, but he didn’t. So, will he finally make his much-awaited comeback tonight?

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight against the Bulls?

Well, that does seem to be the case. Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely to return to the court after a long hiatus. This was first noted by Memphis Grizzlies television announcer Pete Pranica ahead of Milwaukee’s clash against Memphis. This is great news for the Bucks, who have now gone eight games without their franchise cornerstone.

So, having him back in action tonight, especially against a team like Chicago, who are in red-hot form right now, will mean the world to Milwaukee. More so, because before getting injured early in the first quarter of his team’s matchup against Detroit earlier this month, the two-time league MVP was in stellar form, to say the least.

Antetokounmpo was averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. Not just that, with him on the court, the Bucks are 10-7 this season, which is significantly better than the 2-12 record without him. However, even though the veteran forward might be getting ready to make a strong comeback tonight, the same cannot be said for his teammates and even a few of his opponents.

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The Bucks vs the Bulls injury report for December 27th

Here’s the latest update on both the rosters ahead of tonight’s blockbuster clash:

Milwaukee Bucks injury report

Apart from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks do have a couple more players on their injury report. The most notable of them is Taurean Prince, who underwent surgery recently to repair a herniated disc in his neck and will not just miss tonight’s game but will be out indefinitely for the time being. This is a bummer for Milwaukee, as the forward was tipped to play a huge role for the team.

Nonetheless, even Gary Trent Jr.’s status for Saturday’s battle remains questionable. The 26-year-old, who has been a solid player for Milwaukee this season, is dealing with a calf issue because of which he might not suit up tonight.  This is another blow for the franchise as he was averaging 9.6 points, along with 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. That’s all in terms of injury for the Bucks, but what about the Bulls?

Chicago Bulls injury report

As for the Bulls, they are doing much better in the injury department than their opponents, as they only have a single player on their report. Noa Essengue is the only player the team from the Windy City will be missing tonight.

The rookie forward, who just participated in two games this season, has been ruled out for the season because of a shoulder injury. Having said that, will that mean that Chicago will go with an unchanged lineup in tonight’s game?

Predicted lineups for the Bucks vs the Bulls

This is how the Milwaukee Bucks could start tonight if Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to the court:

And here’s how the Chicago Bulls might start with almost a fully healthy roster:

So, if Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to the hardwood tonight, this game, in which Chicago looks like the favorites, could get interesting. More because historically, there’s nothing much to separate the two teams, as their all-time record is 137-135 in favor of the Bulls. Although Chicago has won five straight games, this one could still go either way, as we eagerly await tip-off to see how it goes down.