Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight against the New York Knicks? Latest on the 2x MVP’s availability (Dec. 5)

Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to lead the Milwaukee Bucks against the New York Knicks in the quarterfinal of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Tuesday. The Bucks and the Knicks both come from the East Group B bracket. Milwaukee is in the knockout round after beating the said group. New York punched its ticket after earning the conference’s wild card slot.

Last week, “The Greek Freak” dealt with a non-Covid-related illness. He didn’t miss any games despite being ruled by the Bucks as questionable in two of his last four games. Milwaukee kept monitoring him before clearing him to play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 26 and on Nov. 29 versus the Miami Heat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy now. He just put up a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The two-time MVP finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He is raring to lead Milwaukee when the Bucks host the Knicks on Tuesday.

The seven-time All-NBA star is averaging 29.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. He is arguably the best two-way player in the league. Despite Damian Lillard’s arrival, he is still going to be at the top of the New York Knicks’ game plan due to his impact on both ends of the floor.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks will be wary of an upset

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks must have watched or heard the news that the Indiana Pacers just eliminated the Boston Celtics. Boston was one of the heavy favorites to win the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. The young and aggressive Pacers couldn’t care less and sent them home.

Unlike the Celtics, though, the Bucks will be playing in front of their home fans. Milwaukee is nearly unbeatable at Fiserv Forum where they’ve gone 9-1. Only Boston and the defending champion Denver Nuggets are perfect in front of their respective home courts.

Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks will not care about where they will be playing. They have their eyes on the prize and they don’t need a seven-game slugfest to enter the semifinals. The Knicks just need to win one game to earn a ticket to Las Vegas.

The Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks met in the group stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Milwaukee hosted New York in a back-and-forth game. Damian Lillard delivered one clutch basket after another while Brook Lopez loomed large on the defensive end.

Lillard has developed much better chemistry now with Giannis Antetokounmpo than the first time they met the Knicks. They can’t be overconfident and complacent, though. If they execute on both ends of the court, they will have an excellent chance of booking a ticket to Las Vegas for the semifinals.