Giannis Antetokounmpo: MRI for groin injury, worries the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo Leaves Game Due to Injury

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter due to a left hamstring strain. Bucks coach Doc Rivers reported that he will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

“It didn’t look good, I can tell you that,” Rivers commented. “We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Doc RiversRivers explained that Antetokounmpo began to feel discomfort in his groin from the first quarter, touching the area several times before leaving the game. With 3:03 remaining in the second quarter, Antetokounmpo limped on defense before committing a foul and heading to the Bucks’ locker room. He was ruled out after halftime.

“He touched his groin in the first quarter, I asked him and he said he was fine,” Rivers added. “Then, I think, he touched it again and said he was fine. The third time was when it happened, but I think it happened before, in my opinion.”

Doc Rivers

Antetokounmpo walked off the court without limping or needing assistance. In the first half, he scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, plus 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 13 minutes. The Bucks were outscored 59-49 and shot 38.6% from the field after halftime, resulting in their second straight loss of the season. Bucks player Kyle Kuzma commented on the team’s situation.

“We want to try to get into the paint as much as we can, especially without him, it was a little difficult,” Kuzma said. “We had a couple of possessions where we stalled or maybe posted up a little more than we wanted, but I think we’re going to watch the video in a day or two and find ways to incorporate that if it’s a groin strain.”

Kyle Kuzma

Antetokounmpo has had an outstanding start to the season, averaging 32.6 points with 63% shooting efficiency, 11.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in his first 12 games. The Bucks have relied heavily on their star, who had a usage rate of 36.4% before Monday’s game, the highest since the 2022-23 season. After Monday’s loss, the Bucks have an 8-7 record and a 1-1 record in games that Antetokounmpo has missed this season. Rivers is already preparing a game plan in case Antetokounmpo has to be absent.

“We have work to do,” Rivers said. “There’s always a silver lining. … I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t look good right now. If we have Kevin Porter Jr. out and Giannis out, that’s not good for our team, but we’re going to find someone or something that’s going to give us results down the line. And that’s the stretch we’re going to go through. We’ll be ready.”

Doc Rivers