A Giannis Antetokounmpo injury doomed the Bucks in the first round last season.
And Milwaukee now has to hope its not déjà vu.
The No. 3-seeded Bucks are preparing to be without the two-time MVP “for the start” of their first-round series against the No. 6 Pacers because of a left calf strain, according to ESPN.
They are hopeful he can return for later in the series as he has been undergoing treatment to aid a potential return, per the report.
Antetokounmpo suffered the calf strain against the Celtics on April 9 and missed Milwaukee’s final three regular-season games, including consecutive defeats in the last two games that allowed the Knicks to jump them for the No. 2 seed and potential home-court advantage for a playoff series.
Last season, Antetokounmpo suffered a back injury in Game 1 of the first round against the Heat and Milwaukee never recovered, falling in five games.
He missed Games 2 and 3 of that series, but the Bucks lost Games 4 and 5 to drop the series.
Game 1 of the Pacers series is set for Sunday in Milwaukee, and the Bucks will need all the help they can get as Indiana beat them in four of five regular-season matchups.
The Pacers outscored the Bucks by 39 points with Antetokounmpo off the court, per NBA.com, and Milwaukee went 4-5 this season without their star player, according to the outlet.
Antetokounmpo averaged 42.2 points, 13 points and 5.4 assists against the Pacers this year, although all five games came before the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam.
For the season, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season, while shooting 61.1 percent.
The winner of the Bucks-Pacers series will meet whichever team triumphs from the No. 2 vs. No. 7 series that will feature the Knicks against either the Heat or Pacers.
While Milwaukee started the year with championship aspirations after acquiring Damian Lillard, the team fired coach Adrian Griffin after a 30-13 start and replaced him with Doc Rivers.
Rivers oversaw a mediocre 19-19 finish.
