March 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) is watching the game against the Boston Celtics from the bench at the Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Image The Milwaukee Bucks, with their superstar running back, are looking to right the ship as they host the Atlanta Hawks in an important game for both teams on Wednesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to Milwaukee on Monday after missing 15 games with a calf injury. Despite this, the Bucks were outscored 108-81 by a Boston team without Jaylen Brown.
Antetokounmpo, who played with a one-minute limit, led Milwaukee with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. Ousmane Dieng added 13 goals and Bobby Portis had 12.
“It felt good, but I was a little rusty. It was something new in my career where I’ve been out so many times for so long,” Antetokounmpo said. “It definitely broke my rhythm, but I’m happy to be on the court. It doesn’t matter if I play 18, 20, 22, whatever.”
Milwaukee had previously won eight of 10 games, but has now lost three straight games by 79 points.
“I don’t care about the points (lost), I only care about how we play,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Offensively, we had a great rhythm.”
Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee in scoring with 27.7 points and 10.1 boards per game while dishing out 5.5 assists per game. However, he has missed the most games in a season of his career, appearing in just 31 games to date.
Atlanta came in as one of two teams just ahead of Milwaukee for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks have held on to that ranking well, winning their last four straight and five of their last six.
On Sunday, the Hawks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 135-101 in Atlanta. Onyeka Okongwu led the way with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting from deep, while newly acquired Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points.
“It’s hard to focus collectively for 48 minutes. There’s a selflessness to defend no matter what happens. That’s what I saw (Sunday),” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.
First-time All-Star Jalen Johnson leads Atlanta with 22.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game this season. Nickel Alexander-Walker had a big offseason, averaging 19.8 points per game.
One of the reasons for Atlanta’s success is the team’s ability to share the basketball. The Hawks lead the NBA in assists per game with 30.4.
Injury-wise, reports are clear on both sides, with the exception of Taurean Prince (neck surgery), who has missed most of the season in Milwaukee.
These teams have met only once this season, a tight 112-110 win for the Bucks on MLK Day in Atlanta.
Antetokounmpo leads the way with 21 rebounds, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists. Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 32 points, while Johnson, a Wisconsin native, had 28 points and 16 rebounds.
There will be one more matchup between the two teams in the near future on March 14th, another matchup that will decide the Eastern Conference play-in bracket.
–Field level media
