Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo not playing tonight against Raptors? Latest injury update for Bucks' forward (April 5)

The Milwaukee Bucks will have to defend homecourt against the Toronto Raptors without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has been sidelined due to a left hamstring tendinopathy. The power forward was initially ruled as doubtful, but his status has since been downgraded.

The Bucks are currently second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47-29, but they could lose that spot to the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are 46-31 and are only a game and a half behind the Bucks.

At this point, it is fair to assume that the Bucks are going to be a playoff team. The real question is how high they'll be seeded. Missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo's contributions, even just for a few games, could hurt the Bucks in the standings.

He is leading his team in scoring with 30.7 points per game as well as in rebounding with 11.5 boards per game. He is also one of the best playmakers on the court for Doc Rivers' offense as he averages 6.5 dimes, second only to Damian Lillard.

Giannis' contributions aren't only on offense as he also has an average of 1.1 blocks per game and 1.2 steals per game.

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When will Giannis Antetokounmpo return?

The Bucks have not given an official timeline for Giannis Antetokounmpo's return. The earliest possible date for him to get back on the court is on Sunday, Apr. 7, when the New York Knicks visit them. Their upcoming game against the Knicks will be crucial since they are only two games behind the Bucks and are one of the teams in place to overtake them in the standings.

With only six games left in the Bucks' regular season and the team's still being so close in the standings, they will need their players to play at their best if they hope to maintain their grasp on the second seed entering the playoffs.

So far, Giannis has only missed five games this season. In those five games, they went 3-2.

The very first game that he missed was also against the Toronto Raptors back on Nov. 15. Despite his absence, the team secured the win behind Damian Lillard's 37 points.