The Charlotte Hornets could be getting some lucky breaks ahead of their home encounter with the Milwaukee Bucks, slated for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.

Per the league’s latest injury report, three key Bucks players have already been ruled out, while another is doubtful to suit up.

The biggest headline is the continued absence of eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard will be on the shelf for the third consecutive contest, as he remains in the league’s concussion protocols. The 6-foot-2 vet is averaging 26.0 points on .444/.348/.909 shooting splits, 6.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals a night, while offering absolutely zero resistance defensively and becoming such a liability on that end that his absence could actually abet Milwaukee as it faces off against All-Star Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.

Doc Rivers’ hand-picked Lillard replacement, two-way player Ryan Rollins, is also on the shelf, however. The intriguing 6-foot-4 Toledo product, 22, survived for just a portion of one game as Lillard’s starting replacement before incurring the left shoulder instability that will keep him sidelined for a second straight game. In that matchup, a 99-85 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Rollins scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field (but a more encouraging 4-of-7 from long range), five rebounds, five assists, and three assists (against two turnovers).

Former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton, who had initially been expected to be back by now (though not by this reporter), will miss his 13th straight game to start the season as he recuperates from surgeries to both his ankles over the summer. He hasn’t been the same player since his 2021-22 season with the team, and his decline defensively has severely impacted Milwaukee’s formerly elite perimter defense.

Sixth man power forward/center Bobby Portis is listed as doubtful with a right elbow contusion. He also has been on the shelf since the Toronto game. Portis, who’s finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for the past two seasons, has seen his jumper elude him this year. He’s averaging 12.9 points on .456/.243/.818 shooting splits, 8.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

Eight-time All-NBA superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (right patella tendinopathy) and shooting guard A.J. Green (left shoulder impingement), the latter of whom started in his last two available games, are both considered probable to play through their respective maladies.

Five Hornets players have been ruled out. Two-way players Jared Rhoden and KJ Simpson are with Charlotte’s NBAGL affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm. Centers Mark Williams (left foot tendon strain) and Nick Richards (fractured right first rib) are both on the shelf, so presumably deep-bench backup Taj Gibson, 39, will draw his sixth consecutive start in their absence.

DaQuan Jeffries is out with a right hand fracture. Most critically for Charlotte’s chances, starting power forward Miles Bridges has been listed as questionable to play through his right knee bone bruise. The 6-foot-7 vet has been out since a November 6 win over the Detroit Pistons. In his eight healthy games this year, he’s averaging 14.6 points on .392/.267/.833 shooting splits, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night. He’s a dangerous multi-level scorer traditionally, with significant size and strength, but obviously the shooting hasn’t been there this year. Still, his absence would represent a major blow for the Hornets.

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