Injury Report Bucks: Are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton playing vs. Kings?

Two of the best teams in the NBA, the Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks will face off against one another. This is the first time both teams have met since the Kings’ 126-113 loss to Milwaukee on Dec 7.

Latest news on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton

The Bucks were the top team in the Eastern Conference before their trip, having won 19 of their previous 20 games.

On Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, when Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined with an injury, it was another two-time MVP who proved to be the difference. Steph Curry scored 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to help Golden State beat Milwaukee 125-116.

The Bucks’ third loss dates back to January 16th. They haven’t lost three in a row since January 12-14, so they should head into Monday’s game in Sacramento feeling good about themselves.

Although Khris Middleton played 34 minutes and shot 3 for 4 from 3-point range on Saturday, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has been cautious with the three-time All-Star since he missed 43 games due to injury.

Middleton may still be a candidate to sit out one half of the Bucks’ remaining back-to-back sets as the team tries to avoid overexerting him.

Meanwhile, even though has missed the last three games with right hand soreness, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is second in the NBA in scoring (31.2 ppg) and rebounding (11.9 rpg), could make his return to action on Monday.

The Bucks have a back-to-back schedule to start the week, and the 28-year-old has been dealing with a number of injuries, so he may be forced to sit out at least one of the games.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo is still out on Monday, the Bucks will likely keep giving Bobby Portis more playing time.

After missing the previous nine games with a strained right calf, Wesley Matthews (calf) will be ready to return to action in the first game of a back-to-back set on Monday. Recently, he has played 18.9 minutes per game while averaging 3.8 points and 4.0 rebounds. The amount of time he gets on the court tonight against Sacramento depends on how well he feels.