Tests on Giannis Antetokounmpo's injured left calf reportedly showed his Achilles tendon is fully intact, though the Milwaukee Bucks superstar's availability for the final few games of the NBA regular season and the start of the playoffs remains undetermined. (More Basketball News)
ESPN reported Wednesday that Antetokounmpo has been diagnosed with a left calf strain and his return to play will be determined by how his injury heals.
Antetokounmpo was injured in the third quarter of Milwaukee's 104-91 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The victory kept the Bucks one game ahead of the New York Knicks in the race for the East's No. 2 playoff seed.
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Milwaukee has three games remaining in the regular season, all against teams likely bound for the postseason. The Bucks host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday before hitting the road for matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and the Magic on Sunday.
The conference quarterfinals are scheduled to begin April 20.
A two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo ranks second in the league in scoring at 30.4 points per game this season and sixth in rebounding at 11.4 boards per game.
Though he's avoided a major, season-ending injury, Antetokounmpo's absence for any length of time could still be a big blow for a Bucks team that has struggled down the stretch. Milwaukee ended a season-high four-game losing streak with Tuesday's win and is just 7-10 since March 6, the ninth-best winning percentage in the East over that time period.
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The Bucks have also dealt with a number of key injuries over the course of the season, most notably an ankle sprain to Khris Middleton that sidelined the three-time All-Star for 16 games before he returned in mid-March.
Milwaukee has had its top three core of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard all available for only five of its 30 games since Feb. 4.
