Before the Milwaukee Bucks tipped off against the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, they wondered about the playing status of the superstar big man Giannis Antetokounmpo. Leading up to the matchup, Antetokounmpo was on the injury report due to right patella tendinopathy.

For the Detroit Pistons, Giannis’ setback is something to monitor. Next week, the two rivals are going to compete for the final NBA Cup group game in Eastern Conference B, and it’s for a chance to advance.

On Saturday night, Antetokounmpo got the nod to play against the Wizards for the Bucks. He played very well, too.

In 38 minutes of action, Giannis made 15 of his 24 field goals. He went to the free throw line for 17 shots, making 12 of them. Antetokounmpo finished the game with a game-high 42 points. He made it a triple-double night by coming down with 12 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists.

The Bucks ended up defeating the Wizards 124-114. Washington’s longest-active losing streak in the NBA stretched to 14 in a row.

Similar to the Pistons, the Bucks will now get Sunday and Monday off to prepare for Tuesday’s matchup. Heading into the game, both teams are 3-0 in NBA Cup action.

When the Pistons and the Bucks met earlier this season, the game went down to the wire and needed overtime to settle the score. In the end, Milwaukee came out on top with a 127-120 victory. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 35 points and 11 assists.

On the other side, Giannis had his most dominant showing of the season at that point. In 43 minutes of action, he scored 59 points on 21-34 shooting from the field and 16-17 shooting from the line. He nearly notched a triple-double by coming down with 14 rebounds and passing out seven assists.

At this point, the Bucks hold a ten-game winning streak over Detroit. The Pistons haven’t defeated the Bucks since January 2022. While Antetokounmpo’s setback is something to monitor, his availability on Saturday with two days off to follow is a good sign he could be able to play.

In Milwaukee’s 19 games this season, Antetokounmpo has just two absences. When he’s on the floor, he’s averaging 33 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists on 61 percent shooting in 35 minutes of action.

Patrick Kane skated in the first half of Detroit’s practice on Saturday morning, but Lalonde said the veteran forward will miss his fourth consecutive game with an upper-body injury.

“We were hoping that would give him the green light for the back half of the practice, but he was unable to finish,” Lalonde said about Kane, who has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 20 games this season. “He’ll be unavailable [on Sunday], and hopefully getting closer. We’ll shoot for Tuesday.”

Lalonde also said he doesn’t have a return timetable for goalie Alex Lyon (lower body), who made his last start on Nov. 25.

“Unable to even skate,” Lalonde said about the 31-year-old netminder. “He’ll be a little longer here, wouldn’t quite put him in the week-to-week yet, but I don’t see him being available for the [upcoming] road trip.”

The Canucks are coming off a 4-3 overtime road win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, marking their third victory in four games. Currently fourth in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division, Vancouver brings a 9-2-0 road record into Sunday’s matchup.

“If you look at their lines, it’s four very balanced lines,” Lalonde said about the Canucks. “I’d like to think we’re getting to that; our 5-on-5 play of late. They’re really impressive on the road. I think that’s just a balance and trust in your lines, where no matchup will sting you.”

Captain Quinn Hughes (five goals, 20 assists) and Conor Garland (eight goals, 13 assists) have each recorded at least 20 points this season, while goalie Kevin Lankinen has made the majority of starts (16) for an 11-3-2 record with a 2.57 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.

“Couple top-end defenders and good guys up front,” Rasmussen said. “They have good depth. I haven’t watched a whole lot of their games being on this time zone, but they’ve had success the last few years just doing what they do. We’ll go over it [Sunday morning] and bring our best.”

It’s been over a week since the Philadelphia 76ers have seen Joel Embiid in action.

After the Sixers fell short against the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday, Embiid was dealing with swelling in the knee he received surgery on last season. As expected, the Sixers decided to evaluate the star center and offer him some rest as a part of the injury management plan they have in place.

During last Friday’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid was ruled out for the Los Angeles Clippers matchup on Sunday. After the Sixers suffered a 26-point beatdown against LA, the Sixers returned to the practice court two days later. Embiid was present but not a participant.

Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets featured another absence from the seven-time All-Star big man. With that, Embiid missed three games in a row. When the Sixers held a practice session on Friday, Embiid was not a part of the action once again. The Sixers ruled him out for the fourth straight time ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

Following Friday’s practice, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse explained the latest on Embiid’s situation. While there seems to be some positive progression, it’s not quite time for Embiid to make his return.

“The swelling’s gone down a bit,” Nurse said via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Still some soreness there. That’s about all I can say.”

Embiid’s absence is due to knee injury management and personal reasons on Saturday. Without the big man in the mix, the Sixers will have to rely on a combination of Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele in the frontcourt.

Saturday’s game marks the 14th absence for Embiid this year. In the four games he played, Embiid averaged 20 points on 38 percent shooting from the field. He also accounted for eight rebounds and four assists per game.

As bad as the Sixers need a fit Embiid to help them climb out of their 3-14 hole, the team is focused on keeping the center as healthy as possible for a potential postseason push.