Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told reporters that he does not know when Giannis Antetokounmpo will return after re-injuring his calf in Friday’s 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Antetokounmpo was initially expected to be out for 4-6 weeks.
While Rivers said the team has no plan to shut Antetokounmpo down for the season, he said he cannot answer when the star player is coming back.
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“Hopefully, like it was before, sooner, but there is no timetable,” Rivers said when asked about Antetokounmpo’s diagnosis.
Antetokounmpo reportedly played through the injury for three quarters before further injuring himself in the final minute. He was able to score 14 of his 22 points in the final period and helped the Bucks rally from down 23 points early in the fourth to within five.
Rivers said he tried to take Antetokounmpo out after he noticed he was injured, but Antetokounmpo wanted to stay in the game.
“I thought he was favoring it for most of the second half, personally,” Rivers said. “I asked our team five different times. I didn’t like what my eyes were seeing, personally. Giannis was defiant about staying in.”
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Antetokounmpo said he did not want to leave the game because he thought he could still contribute to the team.
“It wasn’t for my teammates, it was for myself,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just don’t like to quit. I feel like I couldn’t explode. I could jog. I couldn’t get on my toes, so I was kind of jogging on my heel the majority of the game.
“I didn’t have the same explosiveness, but I still feel like I would help. But then at the end, when it popped, I had to get out. I couldn’t walk.”
Rivers eventually took Antetokounmpo out of the game, and the star’s older brother, Thanasis, consoled him on the bench.
While Rivers has noticed similar injuries to players around the league, he is still trying to figure out the best way to keep Antetokounmpo on the court.
Antetokounmpo first suffered the injury in early December and missed eight games before returning on Dec. 27 against the Bulls. In his first game back, he showcased his explosiveness with a windmill dunk in the final seconds of the game.
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Rivers said he thought the team waited a long time before bringing Antetokounmpo back and kept him on a minutes restriction after his return.
The Bucks are 18-26 and have gone 3-11 without Antetokounmpo this season. Without him, the Bucks will rely on point guard Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner in the frontcourt. Bucks second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. is also out, due to an oblique injury.
Antetokounmpo’s injury comes at a pivotal time, with the Feb. 5 trade deadline looming.
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