Nikola Mirotic out 2-4 weeks with a fractured thumb

The Milwaukee Bucks have suffered another injury to an important player, as forward Nikola Mirotic has a partially fractured thumb that will keep him off the court for two-to-four weeks. The fracture is on Mirotic’s off-hand.

This comes on the heels of the news that starting guard Malcolm Brogdon will miss four-to-six weeks with a plantar fascia tear. Mirotic has been inserted into the starting lineup in Brogdon’s absence.

Milwaukee is now down two important players as they head down the final stretch of the season. The playoffs are just under four weeks away, so there’s a good chance that Mirotic won’t miss any postseason activity, though he could potentially be rusty when he returns, or suffer an injury setback.

However, with two rotation players out, Milwaukee could falter in their final games, which could impact homecourt advantage. The Bucks currently hold a three game lead over the Toronto Raptors for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and a four-and-a-half game lead over the Golden State Warriors for homecourt advantage in a potential NBA Finals matchup.

With just a handful of games remaining (11 for the Bucks and 12 for the Warriors), it’s still very unlikely that Golden State can catch up, but it’s certainly worth monitoring.

In the meantime, we’ll see if the Bucks’ second serious injury opens up the door for their backups to get playoff-ready, or if it messes with the team’s rhythm.