Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series versus the Indiana Pacers on Sunday due to a calf strain. Rivers said that Antetokounmpo is back on the floor for individual work, but does not have any clarity on when he could return to game action.

“He looks better for sure,” Rivers said. “Giannis has done a lot of work. He’s shooting, he’s running again, he looks good, but he hasn’t been able to participate. So we’ve really prepared this week with what we have.”

Bucks president Peter Feigin told a local radio show on Thursday that “We expect Giannis to be back in the playoffs, not really sure when.” That follows a report from Adrian Wojnarowski earlier in the week that the Bucks were expecting to be without Antetkounmpo for the start of the first round, but hoped to have him back at some point during the series.

Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ final three regular-season games after getting injured on April 9. The injury occurred late in the third quarter of the Bucks’ win over the Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo inbounded the ball to Damian Lillard and began jogging down the court when he suddenly collapsed and grabbed for his lower left leg. He was helped back to the locker room, and an MRI subsequently revealed that he had strained his calf but avoided Achilles tendon damage.

The Bucks announced he would not play in the remainder of the regular season but did not offer a timeline beyond that. Likewise, Rivers was unwilling or unable to provide any clarity on when the two-time MVP would be back on the court. He did, however, say that the results of the MRI offered “some relief” around the organization.

Since Antetokounmpo won his first MVP award in 2018-19, the Bucks are 39-40 without him in the lineup, including the playoffs. Milwaukee went 4-5 this season with Antetokounmpo sidelined.

Prior to the incident versus the Celtics, Antetokounmpo had missed only six games all season. He had been battling nagging injuries for months, however, including Achilles tendnitis and hamstring tendinopathy — both in his left leg. “Calves, hamstrings, they’re shaky,” Antetokounmpo said after a win over the Sixers on March 14. “If you have a strain or whatever the case may be… you don’t mess with stuff like that.”

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks may soon have to take a risk, however, or risk watching another season fade away due to injuries. The Bucks’ title defense in 2022 ended in the second round without Khris Middleton, and Antetokounmpo’s back injury played a major role in their first-round exit last season.

In 73 games this season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists on 61.1% shooting from the field. He finished second in the league in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage and was the only player to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Looking for more NBA coverage? John Gonzalez, Bill Reiter, Ashley Nicole Moss and special guests dive deep into the league’s biggest storylines daily on the Beyond the Arc podcast.

The first 47 minutes of the Boston Celtics’ 114-94 win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon were drama free, but that all changed in the final minute when Caleb Martin knocked Jayson Tatum out of mid-air with a hard foul that sent the All-Star forward crashing to the floor.

Tatum escaped injury and said he feels “fine,” but the controversial moment raised tensions between the rivals, who are meeting in the playoffs for the third season in a row and the fourth time in five years.

As the clock ticked under a minute, Bam Adebayo tried a mid-range jumper that fell short. Tatum went up for the rebound but a hip-check from Martin took out his legs and he landed directly on his back. Everyone inside TD Garden held their breath, with memories of Tatum’s ankle sprain in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season coming to mind.

This time, though, Tatum popped up immediately and Jaylen Brown got in Martin’s face, which started a mini scrum. As the referees separated the parties, Tatum thanked Brown for his support, then walked down the floor and made both free throws.

Glad we saw Jayson Tatum get right up after this one… pic.twitter.com/FmAR3y3V0R

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 21, 2024
Tatum, who recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, explained the message he wanted to send with his response during his post-game press conference.

“Just understanding it’s playoff basketball, it’s a physical game, playing against a physical team, shit’s gonna happen,” Tatum said. “It’s not the last time I’m gonna get hit like that or fouled in this series. I wasn’t hurt. If you get like that, just get up. And I knew we were in the bonus, so just go down there and knock the free throws down.”

Martin, for his part, said he got pushed into Tatum and understood why Brown reacted the way he did.

“I know I hit him pretty hard, but momentum was carrying me and I think I got pushed into that direction,” Martin said. “Hard foul, tried to pick him up, that’s just what it is. If Jimmy [Butler] was on the floor, I’d have done the same thing [Brown did], I’m sure.”

In what should come as no surprise, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had the most unique reaction.

“I was waiting to see what he was going to do,” Mazzulla said. “I was kind of excited about the whole situation. I enjoyed watching it.”

No one else enjoyed watching Tatum take a hard fall in the final minute of a blowout win, but the response from him and Brown was encouraging. That’s exactly the type of toughness the Celtics will need in order to finally break through and win a title.

Despite the absence of leading scorer Zion Williamson (hamstring), the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans are looking to stun the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder when they meet in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round matchup on Sunday. The Pelicans (49-33), who were 30-22 against conference foes during the regular season, have won six of the past seven games played in Oklahoma City since December 2020, including a 110-106 win on Nov. 1 this season. The Thunder (57-25), who were 36-16 against conference opponents in 2023-2024, finished the season red hot, winning five in a row. Oklahoma City is 57-25 on its home court since the start of last season, including 33-8 this year.

Tip-off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Pelicans vs. Thunder odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 215.5. Before making any Thunder vs. Pelicans picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 88-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Thunder and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Thunder vs. Pelicans:

Pelicans vs. Thunder spread: Oklahoma City -8.5
Pelicans vs. Thunder over/under: 215.5 points
Pelicans vs. Thunder money line: New Orleans +275, Oklahoma City -348
NO: The Pelicans are 6-0 in their last six games on the road
OKC: The Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their past five games
Pelicans vs. Thunder picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Thunder can cover
Power forward Chet Holmgren started all 82 games this season. He has reached double-digit scoring in four of the past five games, including registering a double-double in a 121-118 win at Charlotte on April 7. In that game, he scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked three shots, dished out two assists, and made two steals. He is averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks in 29.4 minutes. In three games against New Orleans, he averaged 18.3 points and 11 rebounds with 2.3 assists and two blocks.

Shooting guard Josh Giddey also provides the Thunder with offense. In 80 games, all starts, he is averaging 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.2 minutes. He surpassed those totals against the Pelicans. In three games against New Orleans, he averaged 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He posted a triple-double and two double-doubles over his final five regular-season games. In the win over Charlotte on April 7, he scored 20 points, while adding 13 assists and 13 rebounds. See which team to pick here.

Why the Pelicans can cover
Center Jonas Valanciunas has played well against Oklahoma City this season. In three games against the Thunder, he has averaged 13 points, eight rebounds, and one assist, including a 19-point and nine-rebound performance on Nov. 1. In Friday’s 105-98 win over Sacramento in the Play-In Tournament, he registered a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. For the season, he started all 82 games and is averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.5 minutes.

Small forward Herbert Jones has played in 76 games, all starts, and is averaging 11 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He has been sharp from the field, connecting on 49.8% of his shots, including 41.8% from 3-point range, and 86.7% from the foul line. He has played even better against Oklahoma City, where he is averaging 11.7 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. See which team to pick here.

How to make Thunder vs. Pelicans picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side hits in over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Pelicans vs. Thunder, and which side hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,600 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.

The typical PPV names of WWE events makes sense on Saturday night. WWE Payback is set to take place in Pittsburgh with plenty of superstars looking to exact some revenge on their rivals. Many of the matches on Saturday on rematches of past showdowns where the person who lost is hoping to get the edge this time around.

The top billing goes to world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins looking to turn away Shinsuke Nakamura’s bid for the title. Plus, women’s world champion Rhea Ripley takes on Raquel Rodriguez in hard-hitting action. And the undisputed tag team titles are on the line when champs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens takes on Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgement Day.

Those are just some of the attention-grabbing matches on the Payback card. Let’s take a look through the full card along with predictions from the CBS Sports experts.

2023 WWE Payback viewing information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Location: PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh
Start time: 8 p.m. ET (kickoff show starts at 7 p.m.)
Watch live: Peacock

2023 WWE Payback predictions
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This feud has injected new life into Nakamura’s character. By turning him heel and allowing him to cut promos in his native Japanese, he is getting points across clearer and with more intention. Still, it doesn’t seem as though there’s any realistic way WWE puts the title on Nakamura, who is more of a plug-and-play roster member, able to be slotted in wherever needed for a month or two. Nakamura isn’t the force in the ring he once was, but can hold up his end well enough in big matches. Rollins’ run as champion will continue on a bit longer — possibly until Damian Priest cashes in the Money in the Bank contract, which shouldn’t be written out as a possibility on Saturday night. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)

Women’s World Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Ripley’s title run has been handled well and she is much more prepared to hold the title than she was during her first reign, with far more confidence in herself and on the microphone. Rodriguez is a compelling challenge as one of the only women on the roster who can match Ripley on a power level. Still, Rodriguez doesn’t feel as though she has been built up to the point where she could be a believable top champion, though that could come in the future. Ripley and Dominik Mysterio as a title-holding couple, plus Priest as Mr. Money in the Bank — and possibly world champion — being stuck with a jealous Finn Balor could be the next step for the group. Pick: Rhea Ripley retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship — Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor (Steel City Street Fight)

My theory on the direction forward for Judgment Day is that Balor is going to be the lone member without a title very soon, leading to his partnership with JD McDonagh taking priority over his loyalties to Judgment Day. That doesn’t work if he and Priest win the tag titles, though tag champions with an uneasy alliance is a wrestling story as old as the “sport.” Owens and Zayn retaining the belts and continuing their title reign as the tag division picks up a bit of steam makes perfect sense, especially if miscommunication costs Priest and Balor. Pick: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn retain the titles — Brookhouse

The outcome of Payback’s matches seem very predictable but something has to give. I’m picking the tag title match for Payback’s big upset. WWE clearly sees Judgement Day as a focal point of Raw. Despite their infighting, it doesn’t seem as if the group is anywhere close to a legitimate split. They need to win enough to offset their losses. Balor has lost consecutive world title matches and is desperate for a win, particularly after Ripley’s threats about shaking up the faction. Owens and Zayn winning at WrestleMania is an unforgettable moment, but injuries and a lack of direction have impeded their title run. A loss will free the champs up for more interesting stories while giving Judgement Day a needed boost. Make the switch. Pick: Judgment Day wins the titles — Mahjouri

United States Championship — Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Austin Theory

It was odd to see WWE pull a fast one over fans and reward Mysterio with the U.S. title over Santos Escobar. Still, the masked man is a safe choice as midcard champion and it’s great seeing the 48-year-old compete at this level. Theory benefitted from a huge push and beat John Cena at WrestleMania 39. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. Unfortunately, his U.S. title run wasn’t memorable and he’d benefit from distance from the title. Mysterio should retain so the title can benefit from some fresh matchups on SmackDown. Pick: Rey Mysterio retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)

Stratus’ return has been somewhat uneven in terms of her in-ring work. Adding Zoey Stark as her protege was a smart move that took some of the heavy lifting off of Stratus’ plate. WWE loves to frame cage matches as somehow preventing interference and the more they lean into that, the more you know that interference will make up a big part of how things play out. Stark will involve herself plenty here. Were this the start of the feud, it’d be very tempting to pick Stratus to win after that interference, fueling Lynch on for revenge. Things between Lynch and Stratus have run their course, however, and now Lynch, the actual full-time roster member, needs to get the win and move along to the next part of her career. Pick: Becky Lynch wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

LA Knight vs. The Miz

The fans are treating Knight like a bonafide superstar and it’s time for WWE to do the same. Winning a sponsor-affiliated battle royal at SummerSlam was comforting but not significant enough to curry confidence. His feud with The Miz has been rather entertaining, but losing to “The A-Lister” would be absolutely deflating. This isn’t a feud that needs to last a long time. Even if WWE wants to extend the program past Payback, it should not come at the expense of Knight losing. This needs to be Knight’s slow-burn rise towards a world title. Pick: LA Knight wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, has been fired from All Elite Wrestling just over two years after returning to wrestling by signing with the company. AEW shared the news on social media Saturday afternoon. Brooks’ firing, which was described as “with cause,” comes after his second backstage physical altercation during his time with the promotion.

Brooks reportedly got into a fight with “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry at AEW’s record-breaking All In event at Wembley Stadium in London.

Brooks and Perry had a prior argument when Brooks reportedly tried to talk Perry out of a planned spot in a match in which Perry intended to use “real glass” and would result in his being written off of television for a week. Punk reportedly told Perry the spot was too dangerous.

After wrestling on the All In pre-show, Perry spoke into a camera, saying, “It’s real glass, cry me a river.” This led to a confrontation between the two before Brooks opened the pay-per-view with a match against Samoa Joe. Rumors have swirled about the extent of the physicality of that confrontation, though most reports have suggested Brooks punched Perry.

“The termination follows a weeklong internal investigation of an incident occurring back stage at AEW — All In London on Sunday, August 27,” the AEW statement read. “Following the investigation, the AEW Discipline Committee met and later convened with outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to [AEW CEO Tony] Khan that CM Punk be terminated with cause.”

Brooks retired from wrestling in a messy split with WWE in 2014 before making a return to wrestling when he signed with AEW in August 2021.

The following May, Brooks won the AEW world title but suffered a broken foot that sidelined him until August. One month later, after defeating interim champion Jon Moxley in the main event of All In to unify the titles, Brooks made comments at the post-event press conference stating that roster members and AEW executive vice presidents The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega had spread rumors about him. This led to a situation where Brooks and trainer and friend Ace Steel legitimately brawled with the Bucks and Omega.

All involved in the brawl were suspended and Brooks chose to undergo surgery on his tricep after tearing it in the match with Moxley.

Brooks returned to action in June, appearing on the debut episode of AEW Collision, a new Saturday show that was planned to largely feature Brooks. Just months later, Brooks’ time with AEW is over.

“Phil played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions,” Khan said in the AEW statement. “The termination of his AEW contracts with cause is ultimately my decision, and mine alone. Of course, I wish I didn’t have to share this news, which may come as a disappointment to many of our fans. Nevertheless, I am making the decision in the best interests of the many amazing people who make AEW possible every week — our talent, staff, venue operators and many others whose efforts are unsung but essential to bringing our fans great shows on television and at arenas and stadiums throughout the world.”

WWE heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday night for Payback. It’s an interesting card, featuring four title matches and hosted by WWE legend John Cena.

There are four title bouts scheduled for Saturday night, headlined by Seth Rollins defending the world heavyweight championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. There is one other match on the card carrying a stipulation as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are set to defend the undisputed WWE tag team championship against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest in a Steel City Street Fight.

Plus, one of the big featured matches pits Becky Lynch against Trish Stratus inside of a steel cage. After months of Stratus taking shortcuts to get the better of Lynch, “The Man” will finally be in an environment with no easy escapes for her WWE Hall of Fame opponent. Although, you can expect Stratus’ protege Zoey Stark to play a role in the match in one way or another.

Also, Cody Rhodes will appear on an edition of “The Grayson Waller Effect.”

Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.

Gunther is the longest-reigning intercontinental champion in WWE history, breaking a record that stood for 35 years. Gunther officially surpassed Honky Tonk Man on Friday.

Gunther successfully defended the intercontinental title against Chad Gable on Monday Night Raw, clearing the final hurdle between him and the record. He has now held the intercontinental championship for 455 days and will extend that record at least through the week.

The Austrian superstar describes the professional wrestling ring as a “sacred mat” and has rejuvenated the intercontinental championship with such prestige. Gunther has delivered several show-stealing performances since defeating Ricochet for the title on June 10, 2022. His triple threat match against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus at WrestleMania 39 is considered one of the best in WrestleMania’s long history.

Honky Tonk Man’s status as the intercontinental king always bordered absurdity. The Elvis impersonator was a comedy character through and through, yet he lorded over a title generally awarded to technically gifted wrestlers and those on the verge of main events. Interestingly, both Gunther and Honky Tonk Man each have just one stint as an intercontinental champion.

Gunther is also the longest-reigning NXT United Kingdom champion, a belt he carried for 870 days during his sole reign.

WWE is bringing one of its marquee events to Tampa Bay. The organization announced on Wednesday that the 37th Royal Rumble event will take place at Tropicana Field on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The promotion will spend a few days in the Tampa Bay area, including the Royal Rumble in St. Petersburg and WWE Raw in Tampa on Jan. 29. It marks the first time since 1995 that Tampa Bay will host the annual event. The area also hosted WrestleMania in 2021.

The upcoming event will feature a 30-man and a 30-woman Royal Rumble match, according to a press release from WWE. The winner of each rumble will receive championship matches at WrestleMania 40, currently scheduled for April 6 and April 7 in Philadelphia.

The Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s traditional “big four” events, more recently dubbed the “big five” to incorporate Money in the Bank. The other events in this bubble include SummerSlam, Survivor Series and WrestleMania. The inaugural Royal Rumble was held in 1988 as part of a televised event and subsequently became a standalone event in 1989. The Rumble traditionally serves as “The Road to WrestleMania,” a three-month season where that year’s WrestleMania card begins to take shape.

Last year’s Royal Rumble winners were Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley. Rhodes unsuccessfully challenged Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night 2. Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair to become SmackDown women’s champion. Ripley was subsequently crowned the inaugural Women’s world champion, a title she actively holds.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena unexpectedly crossed paths more than 10 years after their legendary set of WrestleMania matches. The face-to-face took place Friday night on WWE SmackDown following surprise appearances by The Rock and Pat McAfee in the show’s opening segment.

McAfee, who previously worked as a WWE commentator and part-time wrestler, opened the show without prior advertisement. McAfee was cut off by former United States champion Austin Theory, leading to a verbal back and forth. The brash, young Theory found himself at a disadvantage after McAfee introduced the evening’s second surprise, The Rock.

The Rock verbally tore into Theory, leading the crowd in a prolonged chant of “you’re an asshole” directed at Theory. The cocky superstar reached his boiling point and attacked. The Rock planted Theory with his signature spinebuster followed by a People’s Elbow. He then invited McAfee to put his own spin on the People’s Elbow.

Later backstage, The Rock embraced Cena, similarly a multi-time WWE champion turned actor. The former rivals headlined WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29, going 1-1 in the two matches.

Earlier Friday, the “Black Adam” actor appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Johnson confirmed there were plans for a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 that fell through. He also suggested it was possible he would fight Reigns at WrestleMania 40 next April in Philadelphia.