MILWAUKEE \u2014 Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ongoing saga took a disappointing turn Friday as the two-time MVP had to exit the Milwaukee Bucks’ narrow 102-100 defeat against the Denver Nuggets with just 34 seconds remaining, due to a right calf injury. Antetokounmpo is set to undergo an MRI on Saturday, and early indications suggest he could be sidelined for four to six weeks, potentially ruling him out through the February 5 trade deadline. The precise timetable will be confirmed once the diagnostic imaging is complete.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt discomfort throughout the game and didn\u2019t want to stop playing, but by the end, I simply couldn\u2019t move and had no choice,\u201d said Antetokounmpo. \u201cIt was very painful having to stop.\u201d Earlier in December, he missed over three weeks with a right soleus muscle strain and was still on a minutes restriction during Friday\u2019s game. It\u2019s unclear when exactly the injury was aggravated, but Giannis noticeably lacked his usual explosiveness. Despite these limitations, he scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists, hitting half of his field goals and converting 14 of 16 free throws.<\/p>\n
The Bucks were down by 23 points early in the fourth quarter but rallied impressively to narrow the gap to just one point in the final moments. However, Antetokounmpo left the game with 34 seconds left and did not return. <\/p>\n
Bucks coach Doc Rivers admitted he was concerned about Giannis\u2019 condition. \u201cI didn\u2019t like what I saw personally,\u201d he said. \u201cGiannis was determined to keep playing. There was one play where I saw him trying to run down the court, but I had enough and decided to pull him. He actually wanted to go back in, but I said no.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the first time calf issues have affected Antetokounmpo. Besides a recent right calf strain, he missed over two weeks last season due to a left calf strain, which also kept him out of the All-Star Game, and the end of the regular season plus playoffs in 2024 due to a left calf injury. \u201cIt\u2019s not good,\u201d Rivers added. \u201cThis calf problem keeps reoccurring, and it\u2019s concerning. I\u2019m not a doctor, but it\u2019s a persistent issue that troubles all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the game, Giannis showed visible frustration in the locker room. \u201cThe next step is probably an MRI tomorrow. From my experience, they\u2019ll confirm it\u2019s my calf or soleus, and I expect to be out for four to six weeks,” he said. “Then, I\u2019ll focus on recovery and hope to return by late February or early March. I just want the team to be in a position to fight for the play-ins or playoffs whenever I get back.\u201d <\/p>\n
The duration of his absence remains uncertain, but a lengthy layoff would be a major setback. The Bucks have lost six of their last eight games, sitting at a season-low eight games below .500, currently 11th in the Eastern Conference with an 18-26 record, 2.5 games behind the final play-in spot held by the Atlanta Hawks.<\/p>\n
Milwaukee doesn\u2019t have control over their 2026 first-round pick but will receive the less favorable of their own or the New Orleans Pelicans\u2019 pick. Since the Pelicans have one of the worst records, the Bucks could still land a lottery position. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, speculation swirls around Antetokounmpo\u2019s future as trade rumors heat up ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. Insider Brian Windhorst noted this week, \u201cGiannis is a major topic at the trade deadline\u2026 The entire league is watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giannis\u2019 potential extended injury not only jeopardizes Milwaukee\u2019s playoff aspirations but could also shake up trade plans across the league, making this a pivotal moment in the NBA season.<\/p>\n
Fan Take:<\/strong> This development is huge for NBA fans because Giannis is one of the game’s most dominant players, and his absence could alter the Bucks’ title hopes and shake up the trade market. How the Bucks manage without him will be critical and could redefine the Eastern Conference battle moving forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MILWAUKEE \u2014 Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ongoing saga took a disappointing turn Friday as the two-time MVP had to exit the Milwaukee Bucks’ narrow 102-100 defeat against the Denver Nuggets with just 34 seconds remaining, due to a right calf injury. Antetokounmpo is set to undergo an MRI on Saturday, and early indications suggest he could be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[39],"class_list":{"0":"post-38624","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-basketball"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}