Milwaukee – The Milwaukee Bucks star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, will be sidelined during the stars break due to a left veal strain, confirmed Doc Rivers coach on Sunday before the team match with the 76ers of Philadelphia . Antetokounmpo, the second top scorer in the league, has not played since February 2, due to a combination of lower body problems.
Antetokounmpo will also miss the star match next Sunday, confirmed Rivers. He was appointed Starter for the match and was chosen by the Charles Barkley team Draft last week.
“There is no greater gravity, we are just going to be very careful with that,” said Rivers. “These things persist and we will not take any risk.”
Rivers added that the team hopes that EnteroTokounmpo will be ready to leave for their first match that came out of the break on February 20 against the Los Angeles clippers. “We really hope that when we left the break, we have our team,” said Rivers. “It’s hope.”
Antetokounmpo was excluded from the Bucks force test with Oklahoma City Thunder at the head of the Western Conference on February 3, the second night on a back to back, with a rotulian tendinopothy on the right knee. It seemed more precaution than anything that given the schedule in charge of the Bucks.
However, a few days later, Antetokounmpo was a late scratch of the team on the team’s road against the Charlotte Hornets. He crossed his usual pre-match warm-up, but left for the locker rooms shortly before the national anthem and did not come to the field when he was announced as a starter. Later, the team announced that its absence should be tightened from the calf.
Antetokounmpo was then excluded for team matches against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and the Sixers on Sunday.
“He wanted to play Charlotte’s match, did not feel well once we got out on the ground,” said Rivers. “It was a play decision, thank God, he didn’t play. From there, we just watched him and that did not improve enough for us to play it.
“If it was an eliminatory match would play? Probably yes, but that is not the case and we want to make sure it plays in the playoffs. We have not played well in the last seven games , we would like to have it, but you must always be smart at the end of the day.
Antetokounmpo is in the middle of another spectacular season for bucks: 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 blocks on a 60.9%shot. He is at the pace to become the first player forever on average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in three complete seasons.
During each of the last two seasons, however, Antetokounmpo has not been able to continue this domination in the playoffs. He missed the majority of the first three games in the team’s first round series against the Miami Heat during the playoffs in 2023 due to a bruise of the lower back and the entire first round series From the team against the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 eliminatory series with a left Soléaire.
Rivers said, “I don’t think so”, when asked if this strain of the left -wing veal is linked to this sole stump. However, he made sure that Antetokounmpo does not want a repetition of his previous experiences.
“Giannis is very aware that he has not played in the past two years in the playoff series,” said Rivers. “It’s very important to him.”
