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Cloud hangs over Giannis Antetokounmpo's presence against Phoenix Suns in NBA's Sunday match
Giannis Antetokounmpo had got injured against the Miami Heat on Friday.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had to exit the game against the Miami Heat in the first quarter due to a knee injury on Friday. But despite his early departure from the game, the Bucks managed to attain a comfortable victory of 128-99. The win marked their 13th consecutive victory, which is currently the longest winning streak in the league for this season.
As per Bucks' team spokesperson, Antetokounmpo got injured after knocking knees with a Heat player. Their head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed the incident during his post-match press conference.
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow. Just evaluate him and take it day-by-day," said Budenholzer.
The 28-year-old seemed to be experiencing some discomfort even before he returned to the game with only 1 minute and 43 seconds left. He was seen grabbing his knee on the possession before he checked out. Near the end of the first quarter, Antetokounmpo made a brief move on the right block and passed the ball to Jevon Carter. Soon after, he gestured towards the bench and started walking off the court while the game was still in progress. The Bucks called a timeout to take him out and he limped directly to the locker room.
"He was basically asking out. Fortunately we had the ball and I don't think we know exactly when he knocked knees. He was asking for the timeout, so we had to call the timeout...I'm pretty sure it was either on a drive or on a screen that he knocked knees with somebody and just wasn't able to return," said Budenholzer.
Due to the injury, there is doubt over Antetokounmpo's participation in the upcoming clash against Phoenix Suns in a rematch of the 2021 NBA Finals on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier, the 28-year-old star had missed five consecutive games in January due to left knee soreness. This time it's the right knee which has been affected.
