Giannis Antetokounmpo set to return against Celtics while Jaylen Brown is out with an illness

Antetokounmpo hasn’t plated since a calf strain sidelined him in late January.

Giannis Antetokounmpo. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to action against the Celtics on Tuesday night, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Antetokounmpo has been out since Jan. 23 with a right calf strain. He is listed as questionable on the Bucks’ injury report for Tuesday’s game. He missed 15 consecutive games leading into the contest.

The Bucks are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind the 10th place Hornets for the lowest seed in the East’s play-in tournament. Milwaukee has won six of its last 10 games.

Antetokounmpo has played in 30 of the Bucks’ 59 games this season. There were rumors of a possible trade at the deadline, but Milwaukee chose not to make a move. Antetokounmpo is under contract for next season and has a player option for 2028 before hitting free-agency in 2029.

Tuesday’s game will mark Antetokounmpo’s first action since the February trade deadline.

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (non-COVID illness) and center Neemias Queta (rest) will miss Tuesday’s game. The Celtics also announced that Jayson Tatum will not make his return against the Bucks.

The Celtics have won eight of their last 10 games. The team remains second in the Eastern Conference standings, 5.5 games behind first-place Detroit.

Queta posted a 27-point, 17-rebound double-double in Sunday’s win against Philadelphia. Brown had 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Thus far, the Celtics have split the season series with the Bucks. The Bucks claimed the first matchup in Milwaukee on Dec. 11. The Celtics beat the Bucks by 28 points at TD Garden on Feb. 1.

Tuesday’s game will be the Celtics’ second-to-last game against the Bucks this season. They’ll meet again on April 3 in Milwaukee.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

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