This could look like a very different series come Thursday.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are “very, very, very close” to returning from their respective injuries.
The Bucks survived another day on Tuesday, holding off the Indiana Pacers with a 115-92 win to force a Game 6 despite being extremely short-handed.
Lillard has missed the team’s last two games as he deals with an Achilles injury that he suffered late in a Game 3 loss.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has been dealing with a left soleus (calf) strain and has missed the final three games of the regular season and the entirety of this first-round series.
The Pacers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis. They’re trying to advance beyond the opening round for the first time since 2014.
Milwaukee has never won a series after being down 3-1 but the return of their superstars could provide a new and interesting wrinkle.
The two head back to Indiana and will square off on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
— With files from the Associated Press
