Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo returns after missing 15 games with calf strain

Giannis Antetokounmpo will play Monday for the Milwaukee Bucks after missing 15 games with a right calf strain, and coach Doc Rivers said he will be on a minutes restriction.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in the lineup for the Milwaukee Bucks after a right calf strain that kept him out of 15 games. Coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo would play Monday night against the Boston Celtics on a minutes restriction. The 31-year-old had not played since straining the same calf on Jan. 23, and a prior calf issue sidelined him for three weeks in December. This season Antetokounmpo has missed a career-high 29 games, with the team 15-15 when he plays and 11-18 without him. What we know: - Doc Rivers announced Antetokounmpo will play Monday vs. the Boston Celtics and will be on a minutes restriction. - Antetokounmpo strained his right calf on Jan. 23 and previously missed three weeks in December with a calf issue. - He missed 15 games in the most recent absence and has missed 29 games this season, 23 of those due to calf problems. - Milwaukee entered Monday 11th in the Eastern Conference, three games behind 10th-place Charlotte for the play-in region. - The Bucks are 15-15 with Antetokounmpo this season and 11-18 without him; they went 8-7 during the most recent stretch without him. - Antetokounmpo entered Monday averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists, and he becomes eligible in October to sign a four-year extension worth up to $275 million. Summary: His return gives Milwaukee an opportunity to improve its standing as the team pursues a play-in spot. The next scheduled step is Monday's game against the Boston Celtics, with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction. His availability and contract eligibility later this year remain part of the broader context for the club.