Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will undergo an MRI for a left soleus strain, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sustains Ominous Injury Ahead of Playoffs
Antetokounmpo sustained the non-contact injury in the third quarter of their matchup against the Boston Celtics, crumpling to the floor immediately after he began jogging up the court.
After the Bucks called a timeout, Antetokounmpo was helped off of the court by his teammates, heading towards the locker room. In the fourth quarter, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game. The two-time MVP finished the contest with 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and a steal in 28.5 minutes.
Giannis left the Bucks game after an apparent leg injury in the 3Q pic.twitter.com/3RFrSMy9uv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 10, 2024
Following Milwaukee’s win over Boston, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had an ominous revelation for reporters, announcing that Antetokounmpo would also undergo tests for an Achilles injury.
On Mar. 4, Antetokounmpo was ruled out for their matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers with left Achilles tendinitis. When they were preparing to face the Golden State Warriors on Mar. 6, Antetokounmpo was still bothered by the injury though he would opt to play.
#Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said Giannis Antetokounmpo will undergo an MRI & Achilles test.
“So, we’re just gonna hope for the best.”— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) April 10, 2024
Per ESPN’s Jamal Collier, Rivers says his concern level is “high.”
“He’s Giannis”, Rivers says. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We’re just going to hope for the best.”
Antetokounmpo’s teammates would also chime in, with Damian Lillard echoing Rivers’ statement.
“Any time you see one of your teammates go down, it’s I think a real level of concern,” says Lillard.
“We spend a lot of time around each other, more than we would our families. I think that was the No. 1 thing. And then for it to be your best player, the most important part of our team, at this point in the season, it was like an, ‘Oh, [d***]’ moment, especially because there was nobody else around.”
Lillard suffered the same injury as Antetokounmpo in 2018, missing five games over two weeks during his recovery. A similar recovery timely may be expected for Antetokounmpo. If so, he’ll miss the start of the postseason. The 2024 NBA Playoffs begin on Apr. 20.
This is Antetokounmpo’s fifth consecutive season averaging at least 28.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
