Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series versus the Indiana Pacers on Sunday due to a calf strain. Rivers said that Antetokounmpo is back on the floor for individual work, but does not have any clarity on when he could return to game action.

“He looks better for sure,” Rivers said. “Giannis has done a lot of work. He’s shooting, he’s running again, he looks good, but he hasn’t been able to participate. So we’ve really prepared this week with what we have.”

Bucks president Peter Feigin told a local radio show on Thursday that “We expect Giannis to be back in the playoffs, not really sure when.” That follows a report from Adrian Wojnarowski earlier in the week that the Bucks were expecting to be without Antetkounmpo for the start of the first round, but hoped to have him back at some point during the series.

Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ final three regular-season games after getting injured on April 9. The injury occurred late in the third quarter of the Bucks’ win over the Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo inbounded the ball to Damian Lillard and began jogging down the court when he suddenly collapsed and grabbed for his lower left leg. He was helped back to the locker room, and an MRI subsequently revealed that he had strained his calf but avoided Achilles tendon damage.

The Bucks announced he would not play in the remainder of the regular season but did not offer a timeline beyond that. Likewise, Rivers was unwilling or unable to provide any clarity on when the two-time MVP would be back on the court. He did, however, say that the results of the MRI offered “some relief” around the organization.

Since Antetokounmpo won his first MVP award in 2018-19, the Bucks are 39-40 without him in the lineup, including the playoffs. Milwaukee went 4-5 this season with Antetokounmpo sidelined.

Prior to the incident versus the Celtics, Antetokounmpo had missed only six games all season. He had been battling nagging injuries for months, however, including Achilles tendnitis and hamstring tendinopathy — both in his left leg. “Calves, hamstrings, they’re shaky,” Antetokounmpo said after a win over the Sixers on March 14. “If you have a strain or whatever the case may be… you don’t mess with stuff like that.”

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks may soon have to take a risk, however, or risk watching another season fade away due to injuries. The Bucks’ title defense in 2022 ended in the second round without Khris Middleton, and Antetokounmpo’s back injury played a major role in their first-round exit last season.

In 73 games this season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists on 61.1% shooting from the field. He finished second in the league in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage and was the only player to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

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The first 47 minutes of the Boston Celtics’ 114-94 win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon were drama free, but that all changed in the final minute when Caleb Martin knocked Jayson Tatum out of mid-air with a hard foul that sent the All-Star forward crashing to the floor.

Tatum escaped injury and said he feels “fine,” but the controversial moment raised tensions between the rivals, who are meeting in the playoffs for the third season in a row and the fourth time in five years.

As the clock ticked under a minute, Bam Adebayo tried a mid-range jumper that fell short. Tatum went up for the rebound but a hip-check from Martin took out his legs and he landed directly on his back. Everyone inside TD Garden held their breath, with memories of Tatum’s ankle sprain in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season coming to mind.

This time, though, Tatum popped up immediately and Jaylen Brown got in Martin’s face, which started a mini scrum. As the referees separated the parties, Tatum thanked Brown for his support, then walked down the floor and made both free throws.

Glad we saw Jayson Tatum get right up after this one… pic.twitter.com/FmAR3y3V0R

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 21, 2024
Tatum, who recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, explained the message he wanted to send with his response during his post-game press conference.

“Just understanding it’s playoff basketball, it’s a physical game, playing against a physical team, shit’s gonna happen,” Tatum said. “It’s not the last time I’m gonna get hit like that or fouled in this series. I wasn’t hurt. If you get like that, just get up. And I knew we were in the bonus, so just go down there and knock the free throws down.”

Martin, for his part, said he got pushed into Tatum and understood why Brown reacted the way he did.

“I know I hit him pretty hard, but momentum was carrying me and I think I got pushed into that direction,” Martin said. “Hard foul, tried to pick him up, that’s just what it is. If Jimmy [Butler] was on the floor, I’d have done the same thing [Brown did], I’m sure.”

In what should come as no surprise, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had the most unique reaction.

“I was waiting to see what he was going to do,” Mazzulla said. “I was kind of excited about the whole situation. I enjoyed watching it.”

No one else enjoyed watching Tatum take a hard fall in the final minute of a blowout win, but the response from him and Brown was encouraging. That’s exactly the type of toughness the Celtics will need in order to finally break through and win a title.

Despite the absence of leading scorer Zion Williamson (hamstring), the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans are looking to stun the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder when they meet in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round matchup on Sunday. The Pelicans (49-33), who were 30-22 against conference foes during the regular season, have won six of the past seven games played in Oklahoma City since December 2020, including a 110-106 win on Nov. 1 this season. The Thunder (57-25), who were 36-16 against conference opponents in 2023-2024, finished the season red hot, winning five in a row. Oklahoma City is 57-25 on its home court since the start of last season, including 33-8 this year.

Tip-off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Pelicans vs. Thunder odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 215.5. Before making any Thunder vs. Pelicans picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Thunder and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Thunder vs. Pelicans:

Pelicans vs. Thunder spread: Oklahoma City -8.5
Pelicans vs. Thunder over/under: 215.5 points
Pelicans vs. Thunder money line: New Orleans +275, Oklahoma City -348
NO: The Pelicans are 6-0 in their last six games on the road
OKC: The Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their past five games
Pelicans vs. Thunder picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Thunder can cover
Power forward Chet Holmgren started all 82 games this season. He has reached double-digit scoring in four of the past five games, including registering a double-double in a 121-118 win at Charlotte on April 7. In that game, he scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked three shots, dished out two assists, and made two steals. He is averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks in 29.4 minutes. In three games against New Orleans, he averaged 18.3 points and 11 rebounds with 2.3 assists and two blocks.

Shooting guard Josh Giddey also provides the Thunder with offense. In 80 games, all starts, he is averaging 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.2 minutes. He surpassed those totals against the Pelicans. In three games against New Orleans, he averaged 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He posted a triple-double and two double-doubles over his final five regular-season games. In the win over Charlotte on April 7, he scored 20 points, while adding 13 assists and 13 rebounds. See which team to pick here.

Why the Pelicans can cover
Center Jonas Valanciunas has played well against Oklahoma City this season. In three games against the Thunder, he has averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and one assist, including a 19-point and nine-rebound performance on Nov. 1. In Friday’s 105-98 win over Sacramento in the Play-In Tournament, he registered a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. For the season, he started all 82 games and is averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.5 minutes.

Small forward Herbert Jones has played in 76 games, all starts, and is averaging 11 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He has been sharp from the field, connecting on 49.8% of his shots, including 41.8% from 3-point range, and 86.7% from the foul line. He has played even better against Oklahoma City, where he is averaging 11.7 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. See which team to pick here.

How to make Thunder vs. Pelicans picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side hits in over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Pelicans vs. Thunder, and which side hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,600 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.