The Milwaukee Bucks have upgraded Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury status
Milwaukee Bucks star forward and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed his team’s last three games against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trail Blazers after going down with a groin injury on Nov. 17.
Antetokounmpo was originally listed as out for 1 to 2 weeks due to the injury, according to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania.
And now, it looks like Antetokounmpo is set to inch closer to that two week mark after all, as he is still listed as questionable heading into the Bucks’ matchup against the Miami Heat on Nov. 26 – which would mark the fourth game in a row he has missed.
“Doc Rivers told reporters that he didn’t necessarily expect Giannis to play against the Heat on Wednesday or the Knicks on Friday, but Antetokounmpo will be on the trip with the Bucks,” Eric Nehm of The Athletic wrote in a post on X on Nov. 24.
In a perfect scenario for Milwaukee, the Bucks would be able to function without their perennial all-star in Antetokounmpo. The team has certainly proven it has the pieces to be competitive in all its matchups without him.
However, Milwaukee has lost all three games in which Antetokounmpo has been out of action with this injury and is currently on a five-game losing streak dating back to Nov. 15 when the Bucks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who Has Milwaukee Had to Lean On?
Before Antetokounmpo went down with his injury, he was averaging 31.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in 13 games this season. Without him, players like Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins, especially, have worked to fill the void he left when he was sidelined.
And while Portis and Rollins have stepped up in major ways for Milwaukee, it just isn’t that simple replacing a player like Antetokounmpo, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists.
Antetokounmpo has a similar impact as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić does on his team – both leave such a monumental imprint on every game they play in, whether it’s offensively, defensively or both.
Now, if Doc Rivers’ assessment of Antetokounmpo is correct, then the Bucks will need to band together with the healthy personnel they do have in order to snap their five-game losing streak and try to continue holding down the fort in Antetokounmpo’s absence.
The Bucks tip-off against the Heat at 7:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 26.