Giannis Antetokounmpo needs an MRI on his left calf, an updated look at the Philadelphia 76ers playoff standings with two games left in the NBA regular season

Milwaukee Bucks held their collective hearts last night as Giannis Antetokounmpo fell to the floor on a non-contact play, causing him to exit the game early against the Boston Celtics. 

With just under four minutes left in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo dished an inbound pass to Damian Lillard and went jogging up the court before falling to the floor and grabbing his left leg. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo Calf Injury

Giannis appeared to hurt his leg

Hope he is ok. 🙏

pic.twitter.com/HaPXJvpUZR

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 10, 2024

He was helped by teammates into the locker room and eventually was seen walking under his own power. The Bucks are calling the injury a calf strain, which is obviously good news for Milwaukee who currently holds the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Standings at 48-31 with three games left in the regular season. 

Antetokounmpo will undergo an MRI on his left calf, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/AHJpg0Baiz

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2024

According to Woj, Giannis will reportedly undergo further testing on his calf. I’m no doctor but some guy that claims he’s one on Twitter had this to say about the potential severity of a Giannis Antetokounmpo calf injury. 

The biggest question is the severity of the strain – which will determine timeline of healing:

• Grade I: 1-2 weeks 
• Grade II: 3-6 weeks 
• Grade III: Out for season

UPDATE – 7:40 AM

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has avoided damage to his left Achilles tendon – a best-case outcome – and his return to play is based on treatment and rehab response for strained calf, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/MN2ZFpP6gv

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 10, 2024

Ehhh still doesn’t sound great? Shout out to the Bucks for getting an accurate and useful injury report out in a matter of 12 hours. If only the Philadelphia 76ers could do the same? Whatever. Now is not the time.

Even with Giannis out of the game, the Bucks managed to hold on and beat the Celtics 104-91. Antetokounmpo finished the night with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor. 

Regardless of the injury, the Milwaukee Bucks, much like every other team in the East outside of the Boston Celtics are complete frauds. Since Doc Rivers (lol) took over head coaching duties, Milwaukee has posted a 16-17 record and should obviously be considered one of the weakest No. 2 seeds in the NBA history. 

As for the rest of the Eastern Conference – there isn’t a team in playoff contention that the Philadelphia 76ers should be concerned about as they continue to fight to get out of the Play-In Tournament with just two games left in the regular season. 

Philadelphia 76ers Vibes at All-Time High

Not even an Aramark Strike could stop the Philadelphia 76ers last night as they kicked the crap out of the Detroit Pistons down at The Well, 120-102.

Philadelphia 76ers handle Detroit Pistons 120-102 as Joel Embiid shines

The Sixers are currently in the No. 7 seed at 43-35. They have won six straight games and are finally healthy, with Joel Embiid returning to form and Tyrese Maxey playing out of his mind to close things out.

The Sixers have a half game lead over the Miami Heat in the 8th seed and trail the Indiana Pacers by one game. In order for the Sixers to jump the Pacers, they will need Indiana to lose their final two games – a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and a home game against the Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers would also need to win their final two games against the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets. 

Philadelphia 76ers Final 2 Games: 

• April 12 vs. Magic
• April 14 vs. Nets

Will it happen? Probably not.

That would mean that the Sixers will host the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament. Whoever wins that will be the Eastern Conference No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

The loser would have to host the winner of the Hawks and Bulls in a win-or-go-home scenario to enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. 

Obviously, the Sixers want the No. 7 seed which would put them up against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the actual playoffs. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. 

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