We have a mostly B-lineup today, but we do get to see Rhys Hoskins get his reps up:
CF Angel Martinez
1B CJ Kayfus
DH Rhys Hoskins
SS Daniel Schneemann
C Austin Hedges
3B Milan Tolentino
LF Jaison Chourio
RF Joe Lampe
2B Alex Mooney
P Slade Cecconi
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Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to make his return to the Milwaukee Bucks lineup when they host the Boston Celtics tonight.
But just how much will the two-time MVP play, and will it matter against a Boston team playing great basketball?
My Celtics vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks will be fading the Greek Freak in his return to action in this East Conference clash set to tipoff at 7:30 pm ET at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Monday, March 2.
Celtics vs Bucks best bet: Celtics -2 (-110)
Giannis Antetokounmpo returns for the Milwaukee Bucks after missing more than five weeks, and his impact on the NBA odds was immediate, moving tonight’s line against the Boston Celtics from +7.5 to +4.
Then it was announced Jaylen Brown would be out, and the line dipped to Boston -2.
However, Milwaukee was struggling with Giannis, ranking 24th in net rating before his latest injury.
Boston is 10-3 ATS over the last 13 games and only trails OKC in net rating. All this line move does is make me want to bet the next-man-up Celtics even more.
Jaylen Brown is getting a lot of the credit for the season the Celtics are having, and rightly so, but let’s not overlook Derrick White’s impact.
White is putting up 17.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. His point total for this game without Brown is 20.5, a number he’s topped twice in his last four games, and now faces a Milwaukee team that ranks 23rd in defensive rating.
The Bucks also struggle on the boards, owning the fourth-worst rebounding rate. Celtics big man Nikola Vucevic has thrived in his role, averaging 8.6 rebounds coming off the bench, and likely gets the start tonight.
Giannis has a solid night on the scoresheet, but as has been the case much of the season, it won't be enough to get the win.
The Bucks have only covered the 1H Spread in 12 of their last 40 games at home for -20.15 Units and a -44% ROI.. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Bucks.
| Location | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI |
| Date | Monday, March 2, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBA TV |
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The Dodgers look to create a new winning streak as they face the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Monday. Ryder Ryan goes for the Dodgers while Jimmy Herget goes for Colorado.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo's return for the Milwaukee Bucks appears to be imminent.
The 31-year-old Bucks star is aiming to be back in the lineup when Milwaukee begins a five-game homestand on Monday, March 2 against the Boston Celtics, according to a new report. Antetokounmpo missed more than five weeks of action due to a calf injury and the Bucks have mostly floundered without him this season. They won five of six games before a recent two-game skid, but have an 11-18 record when the two-time NBA MVP isn't available this season. They own a 15-15 mark when he does play.
Antetokounmpo's latest calf ailment occurred at an awkward juncture in the season before the NBA trade deadline, with rumors swirling about his future in Milwaukee. Now, he's planning to come back for a last-ditch postseason race in what could be his final games with the Bucks before offseason trade speculation starts anew. The team currently sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind the 10th-place Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in tournament spot.
Here's the latest on Antetokounmpo's injury status moving forward, including his potential availability for the Bucks' game against the Boston Celtics on March 2:
It's trending in that direction. Antetokounmpo was officially upgraded to questionable on the Bucks' injury report ahead of their game against the Boston Celtics on Monday, March 2. ESPN also reported Antetokounmpo is expected to return after missing 15 consecutive games.
Antetokounmpo did not play when the Bucks lost 120-97 to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, March 1, though Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters before the game was "close" to coming back after going through a full workout on Saturday.
Antetokounmpo suffered what appeared to be a non-contact injury late during the Bucks' Jan. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets and couldn't play the final seconds of a frantic comeback effort by Milwaukee. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the game he believed Antetokounmpo had been favoring his right leg before leaving the game in the fourth quarter.
Antetokounmpo was resigned to being out for an extended amount of action. He had already missed eight games earlier this season with a previous right calf strain and four games with an adductor injury.
"After the MRI they will tell me probably I popped something in my calf, or in my soleus or something, and probably give me protocol of 4-to-6 weeks that I'll be out," Antetokounmpo said on Jan. 23. "This is from my experience being around the NBA. "After that, I'm going to work my butt off to come back."
Five weeks later, it seems he had the timeline pegged exactly right.
Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks has been speculated about since before the 2025-26 season began. Rumors and reports about Milwaukee's potential options and willingness to part with their star surfaced as last month's trade deadline got closer. But Antetokounmpo remained with the team past the trade deadline, as speculation persists about what the Bucks might do this offseason if Antetokounmpo turns down the contract extension he is eligible to receive from Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 30 games during the 2025-26 NBA season. He's also shooting a career-best 64.5% from the field and 39.5% from 3-point range.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update: Is Bucks star playing vs Celtics?
The Kings season continues to be an emotional roller coaster from the play on the ice to the Artemi Panarin trade, and now the coaching change. Nobody wants to see someone lose their job, but after a dreadful return to action, it was clear that a change was need sooner rather than later.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings made a major move by firing Head Coach Jim Hiller after three years behind the bench. D.J. Smith will serve as Interim Head Coach, likely for the remainder of the season, while former King, Matt Greene was promoted to Assistant Coach.
Los Angeles was once thought to have a very promising young core led by the likes of Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, and Brandt Clarke. Despite them being productive players, it's not far fetched to say they have not lived up to their draft night potential. A major coaching change could prove to be beneficial to L.A.'s young guns.
The Kings are in an interesting position, they're not good enough to be contenders, while not bad enough to embrace the tank. Some would they're in no man's land, where no franchise wants to be.
Whether it is D.J. Smith or someone else, the next Head Coach of the Kings should try and embrace the youth on the roster and allow the young talent to play their game and develop into their once very high potential.
Byfield is the most established of the Kings young core, but even he hasn't reached his 2nd overall pick potential. He is still just 23-years-old, which gives him plenty of time to improve but the clock is ticking.
Anze Kopitar will be gone next season, and although it was thought to be Byfield, the Kings do not have a true replacement for their Hall of Fame center. He currently averages 19:59 of time on ice, which is the most as a forward on the Kings but the constant line juggling and perhaps Hiller's system have made it difficult for him to gain any offensive momentum. Slotting him in at center between Panarin and Adrian Kempe is more than worth a shot as it would be the first time that Byfield has played with a 100 point scorer in his career, which may lead to some momentum moving forward.
Of the young players on the Kings, Clarke's situation has been in the headlines the most. Whether it's about ice time, production, or defensive player, there seemed to always be something going on with Brandt Clarke during Hiller's time as bench boss.
There is no reason for Clarke to be averaging under 20 minutes as a 23-year-old with a boatload of energy. Although he's not retiring like Kopitar, Drew Doughty is on the back nine of his career, and the Kings need someone to step in a be the new number one guy.
Clarke is the obvious choice and needs to start getting treated as such. Limiting his ice time and playing him on the bottom pair at times doesn't improve his growth, and likely makes the former 8th overall pick disgruntled. Clarke needs a coach that believes in him and allows him to play his game, he was drafted that high for a reason, let him show what he can do.
Breaking News: Kings Fire Head Coach Jim HillerEarlier on March 1st, the Kings announced that they had fired head coach Jim Hiller. As perhaps the most disappointing of the bunch, Alex Turcotte has yet to sniff his 5th overall pick potential. In 152 career games in the NHL, the now 25-year-old has scored just 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points.
It took Turcotte several years to fully break into the league after being drafted in 2019, but he's now in his third full season and has been basically buried in the Kings bottom six. Whether it's earned or not, sometimes it's worth it to take a flyer on a young player and see if he mesh's well in a top six role. The new regime should give Turcotte a chance and if he doesn't fit then they know exactly what they have in the player.
Although he wasn't drafted in the top 10 like some of his fellow youthful teammates, Alex Laferriere has established himself as part of the young core the Kings have built. In 217 career games, 'Laf' has scored 45 goals and 47 assists for 92 points. Solid numbers for a third round pick who recently turned 24-years-old.
Hiller made the bold move of playing Laferriere at center with Kempe and Panarin. Although it hasn't worked out so far, it's not a bad move trying to get the young forward comfortable at center, but it might be too much for him to keep up with two offensive stars right away. Slot him in at center alongside two middle six wingers and go from there.
'Jimmy Fell On The Sword': Kings' Kopitar, Kempe, Fans React To Jim Hiller's FiringLos Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe react to coach Jim Hiller being fired and D.J. Smith's promotion. Kings fans also share their relief over the coaching change they've dreaded for a long time.High draft picks always have the most pressure on them to perform, they need to supported and developed by their organization while also being held accountable for their mishaps and lack of production.
The Kings young core has been playing for Hiller for most, if not all of their young careers. Sometimes all it takes is a change for true potential to be seen.
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There is an old saying that says “basketball is a game of runs.” These runs can swing momentum of a game for one team and end the hopes of the opponent. My mind jumps to the Golden State Warriors dynasty of the late 2010’s where they used passing to find a wide open shooter on the court. These dominating runs would typically come in the third quarter and put games completely out of reach for their opponents. Any team in the NBA has the ability to go on a long scoring run but the way the Celtics have done it has just felt different.
Boston has been able two long scoring runs in their last four games. One was a 50-11 run between the 6:22 mark of the second quarter to the 1:39 mark of the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns on February 24th and the other was a 51-16 scoring run against the Brooklyn Nets on February 27th from the 7:07 mark of the third quarter to the 6:56 mark of the fourth quarter. In their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 1st, the Celtics didn’t have any 50+ point runs to end the game, but instead were able to use smaller runs to control the lead win the ball game.
I asked Jaylen Brown postgame on what he thought about this phenomena and he credited Boston’s ability to move the basketball. He said: “Just making the right play and moving the basketball…I just think that our offense just has a good flow to it right now, where it’s going from side to side, it’s not sticking too much, and then when we need to take advantage of a matchup we will, but it’s not like we’re looking for that every time.”
Brown went on to praise his teammates saying, “A lot of our guys are playing well right now. So from my standpoint, no need to force anything. Just continue to just create an advantage and just play from there and trust the game after that.”
The Celtics 11-1 run to the end the game against the 76ers is a great example of this phenomena. Although most of the points ended in Neemias Queta put-backs, Boston was able to create the original shot with the side to side motion that Brown mentioned. This was most apparent with Baylor Scheierman’s dagger three where Brown got doubled on the wing and was able to make the pass to the corner for the silencer.
Going back to the 50-11 run against the Suns. This run erased an 11-point deficit, resulted in Boston outscoring Phoenix 30-11 in the third quarter, and Sam Hauser outscored the Suns by himself with 13 points in the quarter. I wanted to focus on when Hauser was able to score 8 straight points for the Celtics towards the end of the run.
This burst by Hauser is another example of Boston’s side to side motion. The first play results in a corner three off two passes around the perimeter and the other’s come off long passes from Derrick White that leave Hauser wide open.
Prior to the 51-16 run against the Nets, Boston was in front but Brooklyn cut the lead 6 points. With the Nets’ history this season of playing the Celtics tough, this could turn into a close game in a second. However, the Celtics were able to rattle off this run that basically ended chance for the Nets to even attempt a come back.
During this run, Boston used their side to side ball movement to completely disect Brooklyn’s defense. The play that defines it for me is when Derrick White cut hard to the basket to receive a pass and fire a bullet to Nikola Vucevic for a wide open three.
In this same run, we also got an example of how the Celtics ball movement scaring their opponent. After four plays in a row where Boston passed the ball around to find a wide open basket, Jaylen Brown was setting up the pick and roll with Vucevic to do it again. Instead of passing it, Brown sped up straight towards the basket for a wide open dunk. The Nets weren’t able to respond on defense quick enough since they feared another kick out pass.
The Celtics ability to move the ball around the court is a big reason why they are ranked number 2 in offensive rating as a team at 121.2. For as much as Boston likes to pass the ball around, they do it without turning the ball over, leading the league in that category at only 12.2 turnovers per game. Joe Mazzulla is one of the best basketball minds in the game and this offense has been a work of art for Boston this season. The players have done an incredible job at knowing where to be on the court at all times and continuing to put up elite offensive performances without Jayson Tatum. This offense is a true testament to how special this Boston Celtics team really is but at the end of the day, basketball is just a game of runs.
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The Vancouver Canucks face the scorching-hot Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena on Monday, March 2, with the two clubs trending in complete opposite directions.
My top Stars vs. Canucks predictions and NHL picks are calling for a low-scoring result between the two tonight.
Stars vs Canucks best bet: Under 5.5 (+110)
The Vancouver Canucks have only scored five times through three games out of the Olympic break to drop to just 2.08 goals per game during an active 3-17-4 skid.
So, with the Dallas Stars missing star Mikko Rantanen (lower body), I think the Canucks can batten down the defensive hatches and keep this a low-scoring tilt.
Of course, Dallas is also rolling along a 9-1 stretch while allowing the third-fewest goals per game (2.4), ranking fourth in Corsi For percentage and allowing the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
The Canucks have been battling on home ice of late and covered the puck line in seven of their past eight games at Rogers Arena, and this could be a potential letdown spot for the Stars on the front end of a mini, two-game road trip.
Turning to Vancouver starter Nikita Tolopilo, he turned away at least 25 shots in each of his past seven starts and eight of nine for the season. The 25-year-old goaltender also sports a solid .908 save percentage for the campaign, and as noted, Dallas has been an excellent possession team during its highlighted 10-game heater.
Of course, the Canucks have also surrendered the seventh-most shots per game (29.8) this season.
The Vancouver Canucks have covered the puck line in seven of their last eight home games (+4.90 Units / 32% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Canucks.
| Location | Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC |
| Date | Monday, March 2, 2026 |
| Puck drop | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Victory+, Sportsnet Pacific |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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The St. Louis Blues have had to make roster decisions in the past week with players returning from injury.
They got Mathieu Joseph through waivers last week when Dylan Holloway was activated off injured reserve; they didn't have such luck with Robby Fabbri.
The Minnesota Wild put in a waiver claim on Fabbri on Monday, and thus his second stint in St. Louis comes to an end.
The 30-year-old, who signed a one-year, two way contract ($750,000 NHL/$300,000 AHL) on Dec. 10, played in 15 games for the Blues and had a goal ad three assists.
Fabbri became a roster casualty when Robert Thomas was activated off IR and made his return back to the lineup after missing 13 games with a right leg injury and personal reasons.
Fabbri's stint with the Blues was a good one, as the 2014 first-round pick, who spent the first three-plus seasons with St. Louis, became a hard forechecker and added some grit and physicality to his game to become more well-rounded. He should add some bite to the Wild's bottom six in Minnesota's playoff push.
St. Louis Blues Weekly Prospect Report (March 1)Justin Carbonneau rips off pair of hat tricks, up to 48 goals; a goalie fight(?); Colin Ralph(?) deciding games in a shootout; Jiricek ties franchise record; Stenberg back in action; Korotky scoring like Ovi
Observations From Blues' 3-1 Win Vs. Wild10-game road losing streak ends with strong game for the most part from start to finish; Thomas' return prime example of why you don't trade this player; Mailloux stringing together games of late of why Blues traded for young defenseman; Buchnevich producing of late; Hofer save on Tarasenko key
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Back-line may feature one survivor from Ireland defeat
Ben Spencer, Cadan Murley and Seb Atkinson in frame
Steve Borthwick is ready to radically overhaul his misfiring England side for the Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday, with Fin Smith expected to be handed the No 10 jersey.
The Northampton fly-half sat out training on Monday because of illness but England have been quick to allay fears that his participation against Italy is in doubt. Provided he recovers, Smith is expected to start at fly-half in place of George Ford.
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After being the headliner in trade rumors for much of the past two months, Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to return to the court.
According to NBA Insider Shama Charania, the Bucks star is expected to return to action Monday night against Boston.
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return tonight against the Boston Celtics after missing the last 5-plus weeks with a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2026
Antetokounmpo missed the past 5+ weeks while dealing with a right calf strain suffered on January 23 against Denver. He appeared to tweak the calf earlier in the game and headed to the locker room, before returning to action in the second half. However, he was pulled out for good with just a few minutes left in the game.
“At the end, I could not move no more, so I had to stop playing,” Antetokounmpo said at the time of the injury.
“After the MRI, they will tell me probably I popped something in my calf, or in my soleus or something, probably give me a protocol of four to six weeks I’ll be out,” Antetokounmpo said. “This is from my experience being around the NBA. After that, I’m going to work my butt off to come back. That will probably be end of February, beginning of March.”
It was the second calf strain Antetokounmpo suffered this season, missing three weeks earlier in the year.
When healthy, Antetokounmpo is still in the running for best player in the NBA alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting career-highs from the field (64.5 percent) and three-point territory (39.5 percent).
Antetokounmpo’s return couldn’t come at a better time as the Bucks are floundering away.
Milwaukee sits in 11th place in the East with a record of 26-33, three games behind the Bulls for the 10th and final spot in the play-in standings.
Looking to snap a two-game losing streak in spring training, the Rockies (6-4) will host the Dodgers (7-3) today.
The 2025 standout reliever who’s now making a play for the starting rotation, Jimmy Herget (0-0, 0.00 ERA), will be in action for the third time this spring (one start and one relief appearance) for the Rockies. Herget has thrown two scoreless, hitless innings with no walks and two strikeouts so far in Cactus League play.
The Dodgers will send Ryder Ryan (0-1, 3.00 ERA) to the mound for the game. The 30-year-old RHP was drafted in 2016 and made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2023. He signed a Minor League deal with the Pirates prior to the 2024 seasonwent back and forth from the Pirates roster and farm system. He spent all of 2025 in Triple-A before signing another Minor League deal with the Dodgers in January.
The Rockies lost 8-3 to Cleveland on Sunday and 16-3 to Kansas City on Saturday with Colorado pitchers combining to walk 19 batters and give up 23 hits in the two games.
The Rockies began making roster moves on Monday, announcing that catchers Bryant Betancourt and Cole Messina, right-handed pitcher Brayan Castillo and outfielder Jared Thomas have been reassigned to Minor League camp. Colorado has 56 active players remaining in Major League camp, including 16 non-roster invitees.
In other news, the Rockies also handed named their 2025 Minor League award winners on Monday.
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network (1 p.m. pregame)
Lineups:
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Athletics at San Diego Padres, March 2, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
The South Side swagger is alive and well, rolling into Camelback Ranch with a vengeance. Yesterday’s 5-1 beatdown of the Cubs was just what Sox fans needed with four bombs, a little catharsis, and a reminder that the Good Guys can still mash when the mood strikes. Now, Chicago gets to take their swings against San Francisco, with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. CST.
Davis Martin gets the ball for start number two this spring, looking to solidify his spot in the 2026 rotation. Last year, he proved he could handle the workload, tossing 142 2/3 frames with a 4.10 ERA. How did he do in his first Cactus League go-round? One hit, one run, and nothing wild over two frames. Today is all about sharpening the command and continuing to shake off the rust.
On the other side, it’s Landen Roupp for the Giants — a 27-year-old righty trying to forget 2025 ever happened after a comebacker to the knee cut his season short. Before that, he was steady if unspectacular with 22 starts and a 3.80 ERA. Roupp isn’t blowing doors off with velocity, but his curveball spins like a top, and his sinker turns grounders into an art form. He punched out two in his only spring inning so far, so the Sox hitters better keep their wits and not go digging for junk in the dirt.
As for the bats, Edgar Quero finally gets a breather as he’s been putting up PlayStation numbers, slashing .529/.556/.824 after another two hits yesterday. With Quero on ice and Kyle Teel headed off for Team Italy, it’s Korey Lee time. The backstop’s hitting .273/.500/.273 with a .773 OPS in 16 plate appearances so far this spring.
However, the hottest bat in the lineup today belongs to Miguel Vargas. He’s still waiting for his first Cactus League dinger, but the guy’s been locked in with a .429 average, 1.038 OPS, and two doubles in five games. That will play, Miggy.
Here’s how the offense will back up Martin: Meidroth at second and leading off, Luisangel Acuña in center, Vargas at third. LaMonte Wade Jr. gets first base, and Lenyn Sosa, fresh off yesterday’s bomb, slides in at DH. The rest: Tanner Murray at short, Jarred Kelenic in left, Derek Hill in right, and Lee at the dish.
And for Tony Vitello’s Giants:
Unfotunately there’s no TV broadcast today, but if you’re not lucky enough to be baking in the Glendale sun, you can tune in to WMVP 1000 AM or stream the audio on MLB+ at 2:05 p.m. CST.
The Bucks got the news they’ve been waiting for, as per Shams Charania, Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the court from a right calf strain tonight against the Celtics. Giannis has been out since January 23, after sustaining the injury late in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets. This calf injury took much longer for Giannis to recover from, with a five-week absence, compared to his December calf injury, which kept him out for approximately three-and-a-half weeks.
His return couldn’t have come at a better time. Despite playing their best ball this season, winning eight of 10 games at one point, they’ve stumbled in their last two. After a blowout loss to the Knicks last Friday, Milwaukee blew a 16-point lead to the Bulls yesterday, losing 120-97. The Bucks went 8-7 in this stretch without Giannis, but on the season, they are 11-18 when he doesn’t suit up. Milwaukee is also trying to chase the 10th seed in the East, and with 23 games to go, they sit three games back of the Charlotte Hornets.
It’s been an injury-riddled season for Giannis, who’s missed 29 games due to these two calf injuries and a groin strain back in mid-November. Doc Rivers had been playing it close to the vest when it came to updates on Giannis, saying he was progressing from three-on-threes to four-on-fours without any setbacks, yet never gave a definitive date for his return. Even prior to the Bulls game, Doc trotted out the same line: that Giannis was close, but didn’t know when he would be back.
When Giannis has played, he’s been his normal MVP-level self, averaging 28.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 5.6 APG, and shooting 64.5% from the field. We’ll likely see him on a minutes restriction tonight, as he’s been on a limit in the other times he’s come back. Whatever the rest of the season holds for the Bucks, I’m sure they’re happy no. 34 is back in the lineup.
BOSTON — The Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. Brown is dealing with an illness, while Queta is getting a rest night, per the team’s official injury report.
For the Bucks, meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo will make his return from a calf injury that’s sidelined him for five weeks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Brown has routinely been avoiding back-to-back games this season, so it’s no surprise he’s out Monday after logging 38 minutes in Sunday’s 114-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Queta is coming off one of the best games of the season on Sunday; he erupted for 27 points and 17 rebounds in the victory. Both Celtics players had offseason knee surgery, so it’s no surprise the Celtics are more cautiously managing their minutes.
Last month, Ron Harper Jr. started in place of Brown both times he was sidelined, so he may once again get the nod. It’s also possible that Jordan Walsh, who started 20 straight games earlier this season, could get the nod.
With Queta out, one of either Nikola Vucevic or Luka Garza will slot into the starting lineup, with Vucevic appearing to be a more likely candidate. Garza, who has mostly fallen out of the rotation since the trade deadline, should see the floor more with Queta out.
It’s also notable that Baylor Scheierman, who is playing through a fractured left thumb, is off the injury report. Scheierman had a productive game on Sunday despite playing through the hand injury that he was initially listed as questionable for.
“I got some shots in this morning, this afternoon, and I feel ready to go,” Scheierman said ahead of Sunday’s game. “We’re just kind of evaluating it as it goes, but I feel good enough to be out there, and that’s how it’s going to be. I’m not going to sit out.”
The Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-98 on Sunday night, while the Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls 120-97.
Outside of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been led by Kevin Porter Jr (17.8 points, 7.5 assists per game), Ryan Rollins (17 points, 5.4 assists), and, more recently, Cam Thomas (14.1 points per game since being acquired at the trade deadline). Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, and AJ Green all also average double-figures.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have been led by Jaylen Brown (29 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5 assists), Derrick White (17.1 points, 5.7 assists), and Payton Pritchard (17 points, 5.4 assists).
Neemias Queta (10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds) has anchored the frontcourt as the team’s starting center, but Nikola Vucevic has also been productive since being acquired by the Celtics, averaging 12 points and 8.6 rebounds in 23.9 minutes off the bench.
The Celtics have the East’s second-best record at 40-20, while the Bucks have the East’s 11th-best record at 26-33. The Celtics have the second-best net rating in the NBA (+8.3), while the Bucks have the 23rd-best (-3.7).
Celtics-Bucks tips off at 7:30pm ET in Milwaukee.