Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo went down due to a very awkward, non-contact leg injury in the second half of his team’s 104-91 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo was casually jogging up the floor after inbounding the ball late in the third quarter when he suddenly fell to the court. He reached for his left calf instantly, clearly knowing something was wrong, and then was seen limping significantly on his way to the locker room at Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo was quickly ruled out from the rest of the game due to what the Bucks called a left calf strain. Specifics of his injury are not yet known, though he is set to undergo an MRI and further testing in the near future.
Antetokounmpo had 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists when he went down. The 29-year-old entered Tuesday’s game averaging 30.7 points per contest, the second-best output in the league. He’s also averaging 11.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season.
Despite losing Antetokounmpo, the Bucks survived a third quarter in which they managed just 15 points as a team and held on to grab the 13-point win Tuesday. Patrick Beverley led Milwaukee with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Brook Lopez finished with 15 points.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Jaylen Brown added 14 points and 10 rebounds. The loss snapped a five-game win streak for Boston. The Celtics didn’t shoot a single free throw the entire game.
The Bucks now hold a 48-31 record, which has them second in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics still hold a 14-game lead over the Bucks in the standings, however, and they’ve locked up the top seed in the conference. The Bucks have just three games left in the regular season.
While it’s unclear how bad Antetokounmpo’s injury is, it hit at about the worst possible time for the Bucks. If Antetokounmpo is out for any significant amount of time, with the playoffs starting next week, the Bucks could very easily be looking at a second consecutive first-round postseason exit.
Source Agencies
