Will the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings' best players be available for a Golden 1 Center showdown on Saturday night?
That's the question plaguing many a hoops head.
The Athletic's Eric Nehm revealed Friday that nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was considered probable to suit up despite a right patella tendinopathy. Sharpshooting reserve shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., meanwhile, was also seen as probable to play through his own left patella tendinopathy.
Three core rotation pieces for the Bucks, however, weren't so lucky. Nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard was quickly ruled out for the second straight game with a sore right calf. It's the first time since late December that the 6-foot-2 Weber State product will have missed two games in a row.
Big men Jericho Sims and Bobby Portis are both out through the month.
Sims is dealing with a right thumb UCL sprain and will miss several more weeks.
Portis was suspended for 25 games after violating the NBA's drug policy and will be back for the final few contests of the 2024-25 regular season.
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Antetokounmpo's status for the matchup has finally been revealed. The two-time league MVP will be available, after all.
With a 39-30 record, the Bucks are just 1.5 games behind the 41-29 Indiana Pacers for the right to the East's No. 4 seed, and just a game ahead of the No. 6-seeded Detroit Pistons (39-32).
Every game among these final 13 is crucial.
The same could be said, however, for the Kings.
Three-time All-Star Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis won't be quite so lucky against Milwaukee, unfortunately.
The 35-34 Kings could certainly use his help. They're currently the West's No. 9 seed, 4.5 games behind the 40-30 L.A. Clippers and 41-31 Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings are two games clear of the No. 10-seeded Phoenix Suns and the No. 11 Dallas Mavericks, both of whom sport identical 34-37 records.
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Sabonis struggled with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss six contests earlier in March.
Per Jake Gadon of CBS Sports Sacramento, Sabonis hurt his ankle during the second half of the Kings' 132-122 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 17, leaving after just 12 minutes of action.
The 6-foot-10 big man has only appeared in three games for the Kings since the start of the month.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the two-time All-NBA honoree out of Gonzaga had been expected to miss "at least 10 days" of action while recuperating from the ankle sprain.
Charania's report is four days old, meaning it's possible that Sabonis returns within the next week.
But he won't be back against Milwaukee, in something of a major health break for a Bucks club looking to stack wins while jockeying for homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Bucks are 1-0 against the Kings this season so far, having bested Sacramento 130-115 during their last encounter. Milwaukee has had something of a middling last 10 contests, going just 5-5. Sacramento, meanwhile, has gone 4-6 in the same window.
More NBA News:
Kings Star Zach LaVine Teases Return to Slam Dunk Contest Following Ja Morant Call Out
Trae Young Replaces Giannis Antetokounmpo for 2025 NBA All-Star Game
Bucks' Bobby Portis Hit With Massive Suspension For Violating NBA Policy
For more Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and general NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM.