Sources - Giannis Antetokounmpo avoids serious Achilles injury ...

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the remaining three games of the regular season, the team announced Wednesday, after an MRI confirmed a strain of his left soleus (calf).

Antetokounmpo's left Achilles tendon is fully intact, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and his return to play will depend on how quickly his left calf strain heals.

The Bucks issued an update on Antetokounmpo's status before their home game with the Orlando Magic that didn't make any predictions on his potential availability for the start of the playoffs. The release said he will "receive daily treatment and evaluation."

"Obviously there was some relief in what we found out," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said during his pregame media availability.

Rivers said he's "hoping" that Antetokounmpo will return for the start of the playoffs.

"No timeline or anything like that, but we've got the best team working with him," Rivers said. "There's no one who's going to work harder than him. You know that. He'll be back when he should be back. We'll find out when that is."

Antetokounmpo exited Tuesday night's victory over the Boston Celtics in the third quarter after crumpling to the floor while grabbing at his left leg. The two-time MVP's teammates helped carry him off the court and toward the locker room.

The Bucks (48-31) had lost four consecutive games entering Tuesday, their longest losing streak since December 2022. They hold a one-game lead over the New York Knicks (47-32) for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks finish the regular season by visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and Orlando on Sunday. Their opening playoff game would take place either April 20 or April 21.

Bucks guard Damian Lillard noted Tuesday night that he dealt with a similar injury last season while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard recalled that he came back from a calf injury after about eight or nine days, only to hurt his soleus. Lillard said he then ended up missing about two more weeks.

ESPN's Jamal Collier and The Associated Press contributed to this report.