Bucks will be without Damian Lillard in matchup with Cavs

20.12.2024 02:00

Fear The Sword

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The Cavaliers will face a short-handed Milwaukee team on Friday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be getting some injury luck in their two back-to-back games this weekend. It was announced on Monday that Joel Embiid, of the Philadelphia 76ers, is expected to miss Saturday’s game. Friday, the Cavs will be playing the Bucks without Damian Lillard (calf) and possibly Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Khris Middleton (illness). Antetokounmpo and Middleton are both listed as probable for Friday’s game.

The Bucks are fresh off of their impressive run through the NBA Cup. They were the best team in Las Vegas thanks to the two-headed monster Antetokounmpo and Lillard have become. It’s disappointing that the Cavs won’t be able to test themselves against a full-strength Bucks team, but it isn’t surprising Lillard couldn’t go after being on the injury report for the NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

“The second quarter of the game against Atlanta, I just kind of irritated it a little bit,” Lillard said on Monday ahead of the championship game. “So, it was just some discomfort. I have something with my calf, you know, sometimes I start panicking, but I knew it wasn’t nothing serious, just you know, little irritation.”

Lillard was phenomenal in Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City. He finished with 23 points on 6-12 shooting with 4 assists. Lillard also played well in their most recent game against Cleveland but was outscored by Darius Garland down the stretch. Lillard finished that game with 36 points and 7 assists.

Antetokounmpo was on the injury report earlier this week with a knee injury. He’ll likely give it a go considering that he’s probable to play. Middleton missed the championship game in Vegas with an illness and wasn’t quite himself in the semi-final game before that.

The Cavs could be getting Max Strus back for the first time this season as he’s listed as questionable for Friday’s game. Isaac Okoro will be out with a shoulder injury.