The Orlando Magic are catching a significant break on Sunday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP and the one player most capable of derailing Orlando’s current momentum, has been ruled out of the contest due to calf injury management. For a Magic team that has won three straight games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, the news could not have come at a better time.
Antetokounmpo had returned from a 14-game absence and played his third game back on Saturday, putting up 27 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals in a 113-99 victory over the Utah Jazz. He logged 27 minutes in that contest, and because Utah mounted a late push after falling behind by double digits early, the Bucks had no choice but to keep him on the floor longer than originally intended. The result is a precautionary decision to hold him out of Sunday’s game entirely rather than risk further setback to the calf that has already cost him significant time this season.
A familiar story in this matchup
This will mark the third consecutive meeting between these two teams in which Antetokounmpo has been unavailable. He sat out both games when Milwaukee visited Orlando on February 9 and 11, just before the All-Star break. The last time he actually took the floor against the Magic was exactly one year ago, on March 8, 2025, when he scored 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a narrow 111-109 Bucks loss. One year later, the Magic get to face Milwaukee without having to account for him at all.
Kevin Porter Jr. has also been ruled out for the Bucks, sitting his second straight game with right knee synovitis. His absence removes another playmaking option from a Milwaukee roster that is already operating well below full strength.
What is at stake for both teams
For the Bucks, the situation is becoming increasingly dire from a playoff standing perspective. Milwaukee enters Sunday’s game four games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, a gap that is difficult but not impossible to close with the right combination of results. Head coach Doc Rivers will be leaning heavily on recent acquisition Cam Thomas and newcomer Ousmane Dieng to provide the offensive production needed to pull off an upset. Thomas has already shown what he can do since joining the team, scoring 34 points in his last appearance against the Magic to complement a Kevin Porter Jr. triple-double before Porter’s injury sidelined him.
For Orlando, the stakes are equally meaningful, just from a more comfortable position. The Magic are currently tied with the Miami Heat at the top of the Southeast Division standings, though they hold the tiebreaker courtesy of a 4-0 record in the season series against Miami. A win Sunday would also carry additional historical weight. Milwaukee has won or tied the season series against Orlando in 14 consecutive seasons dating back to 2011-12, a streak the Magic have a genuine opportunity to snap tonight given the circumstances working in their favor.
History working against the Bucks
The numbers that frame this rivalry tell an uncomfortable story for Orlando’s faithful. Since that last season series win in 2011-12, the Magic have gone just 14-35 against Milwaukee in the time since, a stretch that includes a painful 116-108 loss in their most recent meeting before the All-Star break. Breaking a 14-year drought in the season series, on the road, against a desperate Bucks team with something to prove, would be a meaningful statement for a Magic squad that appears to be hitting its stride at exactly the right point in the season.
Source: ClutchPoints