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I’d offer up my calf muscle to Giannis, but it’s technically just a soft cheese at this point.

About Last Night

Giannis’ injury looks very concerning

First and foremost, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury is a bit worrisome. If you missed the Bucks (48-31, second in East) beating the East-leading Celtics (62-15), 104-91, last night, then you probably missed a scary moment in which the two-time MVP went to the ground just running up the floor without any contact. Here is a link to see, if you choose to view.

Normally, that moment would instantly induce fear of an Achilles’ tendon rupturing because that’s what it looked like. The Bucks announced Tuesday night that Antetokounmpo strained his left soleus, which is a muscle in the calf. But Antetokounmpo managed to avoid damage to his left Achilles tendon — a best-case outcome — and his return will be based on treatment and how the strained calf’s rehab response, league sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Wednesday morning.

Damian Lillard had a grade 2 strain of that muscle last season and ended up missing about two weeks. If that’s the case for Giannis, he could return some time early in the first round. Hopefully it’s nothing worse than that, but you’ve got notifications for Shams’ tweets on your phone, so you won’t miss any news. The Bucks’ win kept them one game ahead of the Knicks (47-32, third in East) for the No. 2 seed in the East.

1-3 in the West holding: Anthony Edwards dropped a career-high 51 points on the Wizards to keep pace with Denver, which beat the Jazz in Utah. The Thunder stayed a game behind Minnesota and Denver by beating Sacramento (45-34, eighth in West).

51.

All-NBA this man. pic.twitter.com/x1M1hOmBOK

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 10, 2024

West playoff berths clinched: The Clippers (51-28, fourth in West) avoided blowing a 33-point halftime lead to beat the Suns (46-33, seventh in West). Dallas (49-30, fifth in West) hammered Charlotte. Both teams clinched top-six seeds and don’t have to worry about the Play-In.

Pelicans ⬆️| Suns ⬇️: New Orleans (47-32, sixth in West) beat Portland to move up to sixth as Phoenix fell to the seventh spot.

8-10 holding in the West: The Kings are in eighth, a half game ahead of the Lakers (45-35). The Lakers lost to the Warriors (44-35, tenth in West), who are now one game behind them for ninth.

5-8 in the East holding: Cleveland (46-33, fifth in East) has the same record as Orlando (46-33, fourth in East) but is still in fifth. Indiana (46-34) sits in the No. 6 seed and just beat Charlotte to move a half game behind the Cavs. The Sixers (45-35, seventh in East) remain a game behind Indiana at seven after a win over Detroit. Miami (44-35, eighth in East) is a half game behind Philadelphia after beating Atlanta (36-43, 10th in East) in double OT. Traffic jam! 🚗🚗🚗🚗

Knicks ⬆️| Magic ⬇️: New York and Orlando swapped spots in the East, thanks to the Knicks beating the Bulls (37-42, ninth in East) and the Magic losing to the Rockets (39-40, 11th in West). It’s hard to tell why the Bulls couldn’t take down the Knicks last night. I can’t quite put my finger on it. 🤔🤔🤔

The Latest From Shams

KAT close to return

Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return from a torn meniscus for one of the Timberwolves’ final regular-season games, league sources tell me. In addition to Denver tonight, they face Atlanta on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday. Towns attacked his rehab process and impressed his teammates and coaches with his recovery after suffering the injury in early March.

As I noted in yesterday’s newsletter, Towns participated in a team scrimmage Sunday, his first since injuring the knee, league sources said, and there was optimism Towns would play before the playoffs.

Towns is averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds this season.

Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return in one of the Timberwolves’ final regular season games, sources tell @ShamsCharania.

Towns has been recovering from a torn meniscus since early March.

Updates ⤵️https://t.co/mlzcvyBn3g pic.twitter.com/l7YUuYn8mI

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 10, 2024

DPOY worthy?

How close is Wemby to the award?

Right now, one of the trendiest things in the basketball social world is aggregation accounts comparing the steal and block numbers of rookie extraterrestrial Victor Wembanyama and other top defenders. The Spurs rookie has been so prolific at blocking shots and collecting steals that people are wondering if he could be the first rookie to win Defensive Player of the Year.

• For example, Wemby has been compared to Jaren Jackson Jr. (last year’s winner). Last season, JJJ had 189 blocks (league-leading 3.0 per game) and 65 steals in 63 games (1,787 minutes).
• Entering today, Wemby has 252 blocks (league-leading 3.6 per game) and 87 steals in 70 games (2,069 minutes).

While Wembanyama has the second-best odds for this season’s DPOY honor (plus-850), according to BetMGM.com, Wolves center Rudy Gobert sits at minus-3000 for those betting odds. That is an overwhelming favorite. Let’s compare both players:

• Gobert has 250 blocks and 103 steals … over the last two seasons combined. He’s played 143 games and 4,633 minutes in that time.
• On a rated basis, Gobert is averaging 1.7 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in the last two seasons. As a rookie, Wemby is averaging over twice as many blocks while nearly doubling Gobert’s steals rate over the aforementioned span.

Many of these comparisons started circulating after Mike Monroe wrote a great article nearly two weeks ago about Wemby’s case for DPOY. Wemby’s raw steals and blocks numbers are certainly ridiculous for anybody, let alone a rookie. And the Spurs have a very good defense with Wemby on the court, enjoying a 110.9 defensive rating when he plays. That figure would rank fourth in the NBA over a full season. When Wemby sits? Their mark falls to 118.2, which would amount to the league’s 27th-best defense. That’s a massive gulf, and the defense has been getting better with him on the floor as the season rolls on.

Of course, I do think Gobert’s consistency has given the Wolves a key boost all season long, as they’ve had the league’s best defense almost wire-to-wire this season. Even though Wemby’s defense has been more exciting, Gobert’s consistency beyond the numbers certainly matters. Plus, Minnesota has enjoyed the second-winningest season in team history thanks to Gobert. And Wemby even said a couple of weeks ago that Gobert does deserve this season’s award before adding this:

“Let him win it now because after that it’s no longer his turn.”

Wemby shouldn’t win DPOY this season, but it could be the last year for a long time he goes home without the hardware. I mean, just look at this 3-on-1 fast break he impeded last night!

Wolves-Nuggets Q&A

Jon K. on tonight’s battle for No. 1 out West

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are both tied for the best record in the Western Conference (55-24). Both are sitting one game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-25). And tonight, the Wolves and Nuggets play for the fourth time this season. The winner will likely take the No. 1 seed in the West, so we’re bringing in Wolves reporter Jon Krawczynski to ask three tough questions about this matchup.

Question: The Wolves just won in Denver almost two weeks ago. What is the key to replicating that game tonight?

Krawczynski: First of all, not having it be the second night of a road back-to-back in that elevation. But they played Denver tough under similar circumstances – but at home – without Towns, Gobert and Naz Reid on March 19 and only lost by three points, so a tight one is definitely in play tonight. The Wolves just seem to match up well with the Nuggets. No one can stop Jokić, but the array of bigs they can throw at him at least makes him work for what he can get. Reid surprisingly played him really well in Denver a couple of weeks ago, with Gobert serving as a help defender and daring Aaron Gordon to make shots. It’s a strategy that has bothered the Nuggets, and I’m sure we will see the Wolves try again tonight. If they are their usual defensive selves and get some shot-making from Edwards, they’ll be in good shape.

Question: Why have the Wolves been successful (2-1) against the Nuggets so far this season?

Krawczynski: A lot of the above applies, but let’s focus on one pretty big factor: Edwards. If the 22-year-old has a weakness, it is not taking lesser opponents seriously. You will see him goof around against Washington or Charlotte or Portland, but he has a deep respect for the Nuggets. He wants to beat them. The intensity is generally there from the start, and the Nuggets don’t really have an answer for him on defense. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope usually gets most of the work, but Edwards is too strong for him. Now, he is seeing the floor as well, making the simple but devastating pass much earlier. It makes him so hard to guard. When you have a star like that and a defense that never quits, it’s a tough combination.

Question: Do you think the Wolves need that No. 1 seed more than Denver or OKC?

Krawczynski: They definitely need it more than Denver. The Nuggets know exactly who they are and exactly what they have to do to get to the Finals. They can win at home or on the road. The Wolves can’t act like they’ve been there before because they have not been there before. They’re trying to get out of the first round of the playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s 35-year history. Even their vets, Gobert and Conley, have not had a ton of success in the playoffs. OKC is similarly unproven, but the team just seems to have a poise about itself late in games. The Wolves are more excitable. They defend better at home and have turned Target Center into a rowdy environment. Having homecourt throughout the Western Conference playoffs would be a big benefit for them.

Bounce Passes

The Sixers climbed WAY UP in my latest Power Rankings!

Is Billy Donovan going to coach Kentucky?

Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart talk about a fight they had in college.

Screen Game (All times Eastern)

• Main Screen: Wolves-Nuggets (10 p.m. ESPN). See section above.
• Second Screen: Spurs-Thunder (8 p.m.). All we need is Wemby vs. Chet.
• League Pass Game of the Night: Suns-Clippers (10:30 p.m.). Let’s see if the Suns can avoid a 30-point deficit in the first quarter. Full schedule here.

(Top photo: Joe Murphy / Getty Images )