The door now is open for Giannis Antetokounmpo to play Saturday when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics in a Christmas Day clash at Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols, ESPN reported Friday, citing sources. The two-time MVP had been in the protocols and unable to work out since Dec. 14.
Sources told ESPN that Antetokounmpo would make a decision about whether to play Saturday before tip-off. He reportedly planned to work out on the court Friday.
Antetokounmpo, a five-time All-Star, led Milwaukee to a championship last season, earning NBA Finals MVP honors along the way. That success has carried over into the 2021-22 campaign, with Antetokounmpo averaging 27 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 26 games for the Bucks, who entered Friday in third place in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo has missed the Bucks' last five games, during which they're 3-2. The Celtics, who have a bunch of players in the protocols, arrive to Milwaukee having dropped six of their last 10, giving them a .500 record (16-16) for the season.
