Everyone is waiting for an injury update on Jayson Tatum, and for the All-NBA forward to rejoin the Celtics this season. And we got a breaking update on Monday afternoon, but not about JT, about Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis and Tatum are the two best and most accomplished players in the Eastern Conference, two fixtures in the MVP race and on All-NBA teams. But both superstars have been notably absent so far this season.
While the Celtics have overachieved all season, holding down the two seed, anticipation for a potential Tatum comeback has risen to a boil. The Bucks, on the other hand, have had a very hard time without their superstar, as the Greek Freak has only been able to play in 30 games so far this season, and Milwaukee is struggling with a 26-33 record, outside of the East play-in mix.
Trade rumors followed Giannis all season, but the deadline came and went without a move getting done. Now, the team and Giannis have changed the messaging, trying to get fans to believe that he's now here to stay and that he wants to win in Milwaukee.
Color me one of the skeptical ones, as Giannis has been out with a calf injury for more than five weeks, and with the Bucks still below .500, it seemed like it would make more sense to mail it in, try to secure the best possible draft pick, and revisit the situation in the offseason.
Giannis officially set to return Monday night vs. Celtics
But clearly, Gianis and the Bucks weren't just posturing as we got breaking news from Shams Charania, that Antetokounmpo will make his return on Monday night, at home, against the Celtics.
Boston fans have been waiting to see a superstar back in action, and they finally will, but it's not the one they've been waiting for. Instead, this seemingly innocuous early-March game has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.
Now, the Bucks will try to ride their franchise icon to a 10-seed. If they can play good ball the rest of this season, there's still time for them to catch the Hawks and sneak into the play-in tournament. That's still a tough path to the playoffs and beyond, but if they've got Giannis, at least they've got a fighting chance.
Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta out for the Celtics
On the Celtics' side, they'll still be without Jayson Tatum, of course. But they'll also be down a couple of key starters on Monday night for the second night of their back-to-back. After winning on Sunday night at home against the 76ers, the Celtics are trying to get some rest on Monday night.
Jaylen Brown will be out with an illness, and Neemias Queta will be out for rest (let's face it, they're both just resting). On the schedule, this looked like it may be a nice, easy game against a non-playoff opponent missing their best player, potentially with Tatum back in the lineup.
Things have obviously changed, though, and now the Cs will be without both Jays plus their starting center. The Bucks, on the other hand, are welcoming back the two-time MVP for his first game of 2026. This game just got a lot more interesting.