Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight against LA Lakers? Latest on former Finals MVP's status (March 8)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for the marquee clash against the LA Lakers on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Bucks will play the second game of their Pacific Coast after losing 125-90 to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. This snapped their six-game losing streak.

Giannis was listed as questionable when coming into the game and was upgraded to play at game time. He ended the night with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 8 of 15 shooting.

What happened to Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is grappling with tendinitis in his left Achilles. The Milwaukee Bucks initially tagged Antetokounmpo as a questionable participant for the March 4 contest against the Clippers. Yet, upon evaluating his Achilles' condition during the pregame warm-ups, it became clear he could not play.

The "Greek Freak's" discomfort due to the injury was apparent during his warm-up activities. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Milwaukee Bucks are not excessively worried about his Achilles issue.

This season, he has appeared in 60 of the team's 63 games. The three games he missed were attributed to different ailments: a strain in his right calf, a contusion on his right shoulder and most recently, tendinitis in his left Achilles.

Moreover, he has been mentioned in injury reports due to tendinitis in his right knee's patellar tendon, although this condition hasn't caused him to miss any games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo stats vs. LA Lakers

The two-time MVP has appeared in 19 games against the Lakers, going 13-6. He has averaged 27.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 61.3% from the field, including 38.6% from the 3-point line and 72.4% from the free-throw line.

In the last five matchups, he has averaged 38.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 71.6% from the field, including an impressive 50.0% from the 3-point range and 70.7% from the charity stripe.

His presence will be crucial in the game against the Lakers to counter their considerable size in the backcourt, particularly when facing players such as Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who present significant challenges on both offense and defense.

Furthermore, as the team advances toward the playoffs, the increased playing time he shares with Damian Lillard and under the guidance of new head coach Doc Rivers will enhance their cohesion, positioning them more strongly for the postseason.