The Milwaukee Bucks nearly made an improbable comeback from a 20-point deficit on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. However, the Bucks have a far more pressing concern with the health of star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A major reason that the Bucks couldn’t take the lead is that Antetokounmpo couldn’t play the last minute of the game due to a calf injury. He sat on the bench in the closing seconds as Kyle Kuzma heaved a last-second shot that missed in Milwaukee’s 102-100 loss.
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After the game, Antetokounmpo told reporters that he will get an MRI exam on his right calf on Saturday and that he expects the results to say that he will miss four to six weeks with a strain.
Antetokounmpo’s remarks are in line with concerns that Bucks coach Doc Rivers expressed to reporters in postgame comments.
“I don’t think it looks great, personally. This calf keeps coming up and it’s concerning,” Rivers said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him. There’s something that is there and it keep happening and that’s troublesome for all of us.”
Rivers also said that he took Antetokounmpo out of the game because he didn’t like how he was looking through most of the game. At various points, Antetokounmpo appeared to have trouble moving up the court and also walked down the floor as the Bucks set up on offense.
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“Giannis was defiant about staying in,” said Rivers.
Antetokounmpo missed eight games earlier this season after suffering a calf strain during a Dec. 3 game against the Detroit Pistons. He returned on Dec. 27 for a matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Since then, Antetokounmpo had appeared in all 13 of Milwaukee’s games.
