Bucks star's injury could spare his coach hard questions

Antetokounmpo left Tuesday night's game with an injury to his left calf after a scary moment where the Bucks star went down without contact. 

The Bucks and Antetokounmpo avoided the worst-case scenario of an Achilles tear, but it's not the kind of injury news they wanted less than two weeks from the start of the playoffs.

But it does take pressure off embattled head coach Doc Rivers.

Tuesday's win broke a four-game losing streak for the Bucks, but they still have a losing record since Rivers took over as the coach. Rivers has even blamed the team's travel staff for their struggles. 

The Bucks have just a 1.5-game lead over the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference with three games to play, which they'll play without their two-time MVP.

Since the Greek Freak can't go, that's a built-in excuse for Rivers for his team's collapse, even if they suffer a first-round upset. 

They're likely to face the Miami Heat, who beat them in the playoffs two of the last four years, the Indiana Pacers (4-1 against Milwaukee this season) or the Philadelphia 76ers, who have won six straight games and had reigning MVP Joel Embiid return.

Rivers is no stranger to making excuses after losses, but with Antetokounmpo out or limited with injury, the Bucks could well be underdogs in their first-round series. 

While Rivers is the only coach in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead three times, it's unlikely that a Giannis-free Bucks team could take a 3-1 lead at all.

Taking over a contending NBA team midseason isn't easy, and Rivers has struggled with a team full of players he didn't choose. He had success bringing old favorite Patrick Beverley into the starting lineup this week, who responded with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

There's no lineup change to make up for missing Antetokounmpo, however. It would be a crushing loss for the Bucks, but perhaps a boost to Rivers' job security.