The Milwaukee Bucks are going through an extremely rough phase following a 45-point defeat against the Brooklyn Nets this Sunday. With every defeat, they are sliding down the rankings and desperately need a win to bounce back when they host the Toronto Raptors at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Whether they manage to get the win or not will depend on their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability.

The Greek Freak missed the last game, and the Bucks were hammered 127-82 by the Nets, sliding down to 11th spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are a completely different unit without their talisman, and with the recent trade rumours, things haven’t been kind to head coach Doc Rivers’ men.

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo Playing Tonight Against the Toronto Raptors?

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t available for Thursday’s game against the Raptors at home. The Greek Freak is listed as ‘out’ after he sustained a right calf strain against the Detroit Pistons earlier this month. Antetokounmpo is out again on Thursday with a right calf strain. The initial timetable after the injury was roughly 2–4 weeks, and Doc Rivers said this week there’s still no update on a return date.

Even Doc Rivers is uncertain about the Greek Freak’s future. “No update (on timeline) yet,” Rivers told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “At least I haven’t gotten one yet. I know he’s doing some shooting and stuff, but I don’t see him (returning) any time soon.” The veteran coach later suggested that Antetokounmpo’s situation is still the same following Thursday’s training, as per Nehm.

Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors have different injury scenarios heading into the game. While the Raptors have most of their players available for this away trip to Milwaukee, the same cannot be said about the Bucks, as they are missing some crucial players.

Toronto Raptors Injury Report

The Toronto Raptors head coach, Darko Rajakovic, has most of these players available for Thursday’s game against the Bucks. It promises to be a tough game, and he will need everyone at his disposal to put up a fight.

Top Stories

Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers Teammate Arrested Again As Arizona Court Issues Verdict On Order Violation

Did Zion Williamson Slide Into Sydney Sweeney’s DMs? Fact Checking the Viral Screenshot

Bucks Eyeing $97M NBA Guard To Help Giannis Antetokounmpo, As Per Reports

Shaquille O’Neal Drops Verdict On Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua After Round 6 KO

Anthony Edwards Breaks Silence On Wolves HC Chris Finch Ejection After Win vs OKC

Only forward RJ Barrett is out for this game following a right knee sprain. Even though he has returned to activities, he is not fit enough to feature, and the Raptors are not taking any risk with the 25-year-old. Other than that, veteran center Jakob Poeltl has been ruled out (back/injury management).

Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

Firstly, Giannis Antetokounmpo is unavailable for this home game against the Raptors due to his right calf strain. He shares the same fate with fellow forward Taurean Prince, who is out indefinitely following surgery due to a herniated disc in his neck.

Apart from the two, fellow guards Cole Anthony and AJ Green are also questionable for this game. While the former has an issue with his neck, Green is nursing a shoulder injury.

Lastly, Kyle Kuzma is also listed as questionable due to an illness. He featured in the last game against the Nets, but his availability will be decided closer to tip-off.

Predicted Starting Lineups for Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks

Based on current injury reports, here’s how both teams could start on Thursday.

Without Jakub Poeltl’s availability, the likes of Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles could get more minutes in his place for the Raptors. On the other hand, the Bucks will once again rely on Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner and Kevin Porter Jr despite their underwhelming performance in the last game against the Nets.

Neither team is in great form recently, but given the overall firepower of the Raptors, we expect them to secure a win over the shorthanded Bucks. Who do you think will win Thursday’s game?