Giannis Antetokounmpo was a late scratch for the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of their Central Division showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The former back-to-back MVP has been dealing with a shoulder injury of late, which also had him questionable to play on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.
Giannis played through the injury on Sunday, though, but unfortunately for the Bucks, this won’t be the case on Wednesday against Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo OUT Vs. Cavs
The official injury diagnosis for Antetokounmpo is a right shoulder contusion. It seemed like he had already gotten over the knock when he played through it on Sunday. He even produced another triple-double in their win over Sacramento and it didn’t look like his shoulder was bothering him.
It is worth noting that Giannis was not listed on the initial injury report either, with the Bucks making a sudden decision less than two hours before tip-off on Wednesday night.
Adrian Griffin Speaks Out on Giannis’ Injury
Speaking to the press ahead of the Cavs game, Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin explained how the team came to their decision to give Giannis the night off. Apparently, it was Antetokounmpo himself who opted to sit this one out:
“Well, from what I’ve been told, he went through shootaround and then prior to the game tonight, he just felt that he couldn’t go,” Griffin said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “So, we’re just being smart. And I don’t believe it’s going to be multiple games. It’ll just be day-to-day for now.”
Giannis has only missed one game this season and he has been vocal about playing through injuries of late. The fact that Antetokounmpo himself decided not to play on Wednesday night could be a cause for concern.
This doesn’t seem like a long-term injury for the seven-time All-Star but it’s possible that this costs him another game or two.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
