Mike Budenholzer enters health and safety protocols

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Bucks HC Mike Budenholzer enters NBA's health and safety protocols

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 1/5/22

The Milwaukee Bucks will look to recover from Monday's loss to the Detroit Pistons when they face the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, but their head coach reportedly won't be joining them on the bench.

ESPN Sources: Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has entered Covid protocols and will miss tonight's game vs. Toronto. Top assistant Darvin Ham will be the acting head coach. Ham is considered one of the league's next wave of head coaches.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 5, 2022

Additionally, two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the contest due to a non-COVID illness, according to ESPN NBA reporter Jamal Collier. Antetokounmpo currently ranks third in the NBA in points per game (27.9) and seventh in rebounds per game (11.5).

A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Budenholzer has posted a 400-276 career record in the regular season over his eight-plus seasons spent with the Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. The 52-year-old has also compiled a 48-39 career mark in the postseason and helped Milwaukee win its first NBA title since 1971 last year.

The Bucks are currently 25-14 and tied with the Brooklyn Nets (23-12) at two games behind the first-place Chicago Bulls (25-10) in the Eastern Conference standings.

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