Giannis Antetokounmpo left Wednesday’s game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons with a right calf strain.
Antetokounmpo sustained the injury in the first quarter. He fell on the court without contact.
Antetokounmpo was eventually able to walk on his own, but he limped to the locker room after briefly taking his spot on Milwaukee’s bench. The Bucks announced shortly after he left the court that he was out for the game with a calf strain.
With Antetokounmpo sidelined, the Bucks rallied from a 30-21 first quarter deficit for a 113-109 win over the first-place Pistons.
Doc Rivers told reporters after the game that Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI. The severity of his injury remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of the game.
Injury occurs hours after report on Giannis’ future with Bucks
Antetokounmpo suffered the injury hours after a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, had engaged with Bucks management to discuss his future with the team about “whether his best fit is staying or elsewhere.”
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Head coach Doc Rivers told reporters Wednesday night that Antetokounmpo had not requested a trade.
“I want to make it clear for the — I want to say one more time — for the 50th time, and clearly it’s not getting to one network, for sure, Giannis has never asked to be traded,” Rivers told reporters, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Ever. I can’t make that more clear.”
Rivers also denied that the Bucks have engaged in such conversations with Antetokounmpo or Saratsis.
“There’s been no conversations,” Rivers said.
Neither Antetokounmpo nor Bucks general manager Jon Horst had addressed the report prior to Wednesday’s game.
How long will Giannis be sidelined?
While Antetokounmpo’s future with Milwaukee overshadowed Wednesday’s game prior to tip, the focus quickly shifted to his short- and long-term health following his injury. A nine-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP, Antetokounmpo is the face of the franchise and remains one of the NBA’s elite players at 30 years old. It was not immediately clear how long the injury would sideline Antetokounmpo.
He entered Wednesday averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal per game while shooting 63.9% from the floor as one of the league’s dominant forces on both sides of the court. The Bucks entered the game at 9-13, and their struggles are at the heart of Antetokounmpo’s reported desire to engage with the team about his future.
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