Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight against Indiana Pacers? Latest injury update on Bucks' star ahead of matchup (16th March 2023)
Giannis Antetokounmpo's injuries have caused him to miss 15 games in the 2022-23 season. However, the Milwaukee Bucks forward seems to have fully recovered and should be available on Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks (50-19) will play against the Pacers (31-38) at home, where they have a 28-6 record this season. Considering how good Antetokounmpo has looked lately, this matchup should be easy for Milwaukee.
The two-time MVP recently missed three games due to a hand injury. He's also dealt with knee and wrist problems, but these won't affect his status for the March 16 matchup.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to play against the Indiana Pacers on March 16
The Milwaukee Bucks are 9-6 without Antetokounmpo this season and have successfully defended the top spot in the East. The superstar forward recently missed three games, but the Bucks won two of them.
Since his return to action, Giannis has averaged 41.0 points on 58.8% shooting in two games. While this is a small sample size, it's important to note that these are averages from back-to-back games.
Considering that the seven-time All-Star played on the second night of a back-to-back, he will likely suit up for the matchup against the Indiana Pacers. It looks like he is no longer dealing with a hand injury and the Bucks need all the help they can get.
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The Bucks currently have the best record in the entire league. However, they are only 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics (48-22). With 13 games left in the season, the Bucks will need to play hard to secure the top seed in the playoffs.
Antetokounmpo's career stats against the Pacers
Giannis Antetokounmpo has appeared in 33 games against the Pacers in his career. The Milwaukee Bucks forward came off the bench in five of these games, but he was still a great contributor.
Ahead of the March 16 matchup against Indiana, Antetokounmpo is 19-14 all-time against the Pacers. This includes a 141-131 victory earlier this season in which he had a 41-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Giannis has had several fantastic performances against the Pacers and has averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game against them. He's also been great on defense and has converted 53.5% of his shots.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo's greatest performance against the Pacers came on Feb. 15, 2022. Greak Freak scored 50 points on 17-for-21 shooting while also adding 14 rebounds and three assists to his final stat line.