Giannis Antetokounmpo missed just his fourth game of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. This is after the former back-to-back MVP was ruled out just hours before tip-off of what was a marquee showdown against the Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks still managed to secure a huge 140-129 win over the Suns — thanks in large part to Damian Lillard’s incredible heroics — but there’s no denying that Milwaukee will need Giannis back as soon as possible. Especially with a massive matchup against the Boston Celtics coming up on Wednesday.
Milwaukee Bucks Coach Doc Rivers Gives Update on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Injury
According to head coach Doc Rivers, however, there shouldn’t be much cause for concern on the Antetokounmpo injury front. The tenured shot-caller revealed that Sunday’s decision to scratch Giannis was nothing more than a typical day off for the eight-time All-Star:
“It’s not an injury,” Rivers said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We’re just concerned a little bit. Plus if you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off. So we planted it in him and he had to do it, which we were happy he decided to do it.”
Giannis played through his hamstring injury in Milwaukee’s last game, which came in the form of a 114-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. As Rivers said, the decision to have Antetokounmpo sit out on Sunday meant that he would have five days of rest ahead of Wednesday’s showdown in Boston.
At this point, it appears that only a significant setback is going to prevent the Bucks talisman from suiting up against Jayson Tatum and Co. on Wednesday.
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