Drama in the Bucks: another defeat and injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo had to leave the court before halftime in the Milwaukee Bucks' 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after experiencing discomfort in his left groin. According to coach Doc Rivers, the player will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the issue.

Rivers mentioned that he had noticed the Greek player uncomfortable since the first quarter, touching the affected area several times. With just over three minutes left until halftime, Antetokounmpo limped towards his defensive end, committed a foul, and headed straight to the locker room. After halftime, he was ruled out for the rest of the game.

The coach stated that he had spoken to him several times during the early minutes of the game, but Giannis initially insisted he could continue. However, the persistence of the discomfort eventually forced him to retire.

Despite the setback, Antetokounmpo left the arena without needing additional assistance. In the 13 minutes he played, he scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, in addition to 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Without their leader, the Bucks struggled to find offensive flow and were outscored 59-49 after halftime, ending the night with a shooting percentage of 38.6%. Kyle Kuzma acknowledged that without their teammate's interior presence, they found it challenging to create advantages, explaining that the team got stuck on several possessions and relied more on post play than expected, a situation they plan to analyze on video to adjust if the injury is confirmed.

Great start to the season for Anteto

Antetokounmpo was off to one of the best starts of his career, averaging 32.6 points on 63% shooting, along with 11.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his first 12 games. His impact was evident, with a 36.4% offensive usage rate, the second highest in the league at the start of the day.

Following the defeat, Milwaukee dropped to a record of 8-7. The team is already considering tactical alternatives if Antetokounmpo needs to rest, a possibility Rivers did not rule out. He noted that if they also lose Kevin Porter Jr., they will need to find new ways to remain competitive in the upcoming games.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Drama en los Bucks: otra derrota y lesión de Giannis Antetokounmpo