In the second half of his team’s triumph over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Milwaukee Bucks sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo unexpectedly quit the game due to a non-contact leg injury.
It began so innocently enough: Antetokounmpo was strolling up the floor after a pass was inbound when he fell, clutching his left calf in apparent pain. With a noticeable limp, he left the locker room quickly, indicating how serious the matter was, and raising concerns among teammates and fans for the top player’s safety.
Antetokounmpo out
Even though it’s unclear how serious the injury is, excitement is growing as the elite athlete gets ready for an MRI and more tests in the next few days. Basketball fans are curious and concerned about the unexpected turn in the game’s plot and are anxious to see what it means for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks next season.
The Milwaukee Bucks overcame a challenging third quarter to secure a 13-point victory on Tuesday, even though Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game early after finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
With 20 points and 10 rebounds, Patrick Beverley was quite impressive. Brook Lopez chipped in with 15 points. The absence of Antetokounmpo was felt, but the Bucks showed resiliency and camaraderie, showcasing their depth on the floor.
Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure in his left knee, as reported by Antonis Kalkavouras from Gazzetta.gr.
Although not a major concern for the dominant force in the league, his participation in the upcoming FIBA World Cup with the Greek national team hangs in the balance. Currently in the rehabilitation phase, Giannis is expected to fully recover in the following weeks, but the decision to compete ultimately rests with him.
The Bucks, recognizing his vital role as the team’s leader, prioritize his well-being and urge caution. As the basketball world eagerly awaits his verdict, Milwaukee’s hopes for a triumphant return to the top lie in the hands of the indomitable “Greek Freak.”
The absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo could spell a major upset for the Greek national team, which had high hopes for a successful run in the tournament. Known for his incredible stats, averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, Giannis was a key player for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. With Greece aiming to build on their fifth-place finish in the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket, Giannis was set to lead his team again.
However, his participation hangs in the balance due to the FIBA-NBA agreement, prioritizing his health and preventing potential injury aggravation. As the Greeks head to Manila to face formidable opponents like Team USA, Jordan, and New Zealand, the absence of their star player adds an intriguing twist to their journey, leaving fans wondering how they will fare without his extraordinary talents.
The Bucks fret over his fitness for the upcoming season as his tumultuous history with knee injuries raises concerns. Will his involvement in the high-stakes tournament jeopardize his performance on the court?
Year
Games Missed
Bucks’ Record during Absence
2022
19
11-8
2021
–
–
2020
–
–
2019
–
–
Playoffs
2
0-2
The Bucks struggled without Antetokounmpo in the playoffs, losing to the Miami Heat in five games (4-1). The Heat reached the NBA Finals but lost to the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets, in five games (4-1). Despite his absence in a few games, Antetokounmpo’s brilliance propelled the Bucks to finish with the best record in the NBA at 58-24.
Despite undergoing a knee procedure, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s participation in the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season remains unaffected. However, should he choose to represent Greece in the World Cup, the Milwaukee Bucks will probably adopt a cautious approach by carefully managing his playing time during the initial phase of the season. This strategic decision aims to minimize the risk of him missing multiple games, a scenario the team wishes to avoid following the previous season.
Why did Giannis Antetokounmpo get ejected from Bucks-Pistons game?
NBA was once enshrouded by a culture of trash-talk, on-court brawling, and staredowns. It was all part of their competitiveness, and those acts served as their outlets. The audience was both entertained and accustomed to this behavior, and it was accepted as part of the game for many years.
But there was one moment during the Bucks vs. Pistons game that had everyone wondering if we were past the prime of that culture.
Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ejected due to a stare down?
On Wednesday, Antetokounmpo unleashed his impressive skills on the court against the Detroit Pistons before being whistled down for a technical foul.
The controversial ‘so-called’ foul happened during the third quarter, with only 9 minutes left on the clock. And Antetokounmpo , being the dominant force that he is, executed a spectacular one-handed dunk and, upon landing, stared down for apparently “too long” at Pistons center Isaiah Stewart.
He was on his way to celebrate his impressive dunk when suddenly the referee blew the whistle. Confused, Antetokounmpo quickly strode over to the referee in an appalled state. A few seconds later, he was seen trying to argue with the referee, but the referee, in turn, merely ignored his qualms.
Also shocked by the unexpected turn of events, the crowd’s cheers quickly died down, and the commentators in the background asked, “”What did [Antetokounmpo] do?”
After glaring down Stewart, Antetokounmpo was given a technical foul for “taunting”, as per Yahoo Sports. And, unfortunately, that was the Bucks star’s second foul in the game, which, according to NBA regulations, results in an automatic ejection.
Despite the Bucks’ Center being ruled out for the remainder of the match, the team was able to escape with a narrow victory, 120-118, over the Pistons.
NBA’s pool report
Following the game, Referee Rodney Mott provided the following explanation of the sequence of events leading to Antetokounmpo’s ejection.
Foul 1: “On the play, Giannis drives to the basket and he thinks he gets fouled. Then he approaches the game official and uses profanity, which is an unsportsmanlike technical foul and was issued at that time.”
Foul 2: “After the dunk, Giannis turns to his opponent and taunts him and a taunting technical foul was called, an unsportsmanlike. And he was ejected from the game, per rule, because two unsportsmanlike technical fouls, you are ejected from the game.”
Fans says league has gone ‘softer’
Following the incident, numerous fans vented their frustrations about how the league has become “softer” on X.
One X user commented, “Nobody wants this, NBA. We want stare downs, hanging on the rim, and fun celebrations. Get over yourselves.”
While another X user added, “That’s not even a stare down… So soft…What happened to the game I love?”
One X user also noted that these kinds of incidents takes away the fun of the game, “@NBA change this garbage rule. This kinda stuff takes away from the game. Let em do staredowns. If you dunk on someone, you deserve to be able to look them straight in the eyes and let em know.”
On Saturday, the NBA announced a one-game without-pay suspension for Antetokounmpo’s physical assault on Griffin.
By a score of 140-99 on Thursday night, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks. With a final line of 40 points, eight rebounds, and one assist, Jayson Tatum had the greatest performance for the Celtics.
But, one incident involving Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Blake Griffin of the Celtics drew much attention. With 1:25 left in the fourth quarter of the game, Thanasis headbutted Griffin. Thanasis participated in the game for eight minutes and finished with one point and one assist before getting dismissed for the incident. The NBA stated on Saturday that Antetokounmpo had received a one-game no-pay suspension for his violence on Griffin.
The Celtics player had backed off after being struck and was seen mockingly grinning at Antetokounmpo. Even in his jokes, he had claimed that he required Jaylen Brown’s facemask to defend himself.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of the Bucks’ star player, had the greatest game for his team, finishing with 24 points, seven rebounds, and two assists despite the team’s defeat.
On Sunday, when the Bucks visit the Philadelphia 76ers, Thanasis will serve his ban. He has played in 33 games this season, contributing 0.8 points and 0.9 rebounds while clocking 4.2 minutes per game.
Tatum leads NBA-best Celtics over Mavs while Hawks beat Kings
Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Wednesday to spark the NBA-leading Boston Celtics to a 125-112 victory over visiting Dallas despite 42 points from Luka Doncic.
The Celtics, whose nine-game win streak was snapped Monday at Chicago, bounced back by dominating the Mavericks, improving to 7-1 in Boston and an NBA-best 14-4 overall.
Tatum’s remarks
“I think we were locked in from the beginning,” Tatum said. “Losing to Chicago made us regroup and refocus.
“We just knew they were a really talented team. Luka is the head of the snake. It was good to come home and get back in the win column.”
It was Tatum’s 10th career game with 35 points and 10 rebounds. He made 11-of-24 from the floor and 13-of-15 from the free throw line.
Image of Jayson Tatum (right), from Wikipedia.
In a showdown of early season NBA Most Valuable Player candidates, league scoring leader Doncic countered with a game-high point total on 17-of-28 shooting and 5=of-9 from the line. The Slovenian guard also had nine assists and eight rebounds.
“Everybody knows how talented and special he is,” Tatum said. “He can do so many things on the court. He’s somebody I respect and like competing against.”
The Celtics led 70-49 at halftime and by double figures from late in the first quarter until Doncic sparked a late rally to pull Dallas within 114-105 with 3:43 remaining.
Al Horford answered with a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-2 Boston run and Dallas never came within 13 again.
The Sacramento Kings saw their seven-game win streak snapped as Trae Young scored 35 points to lead the host Atlanta Hawks to a 115-106 victory.
Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to spark Sacramento (10-7). Clint Capela pulled down 14 rebounds for the Hawks (11-7).
Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers over Portland 114-96 and stretch their win streak to four games.
The Cavs improved to 8-1 at home and 12-6 overall as Darius Garland had 24 points and 12 assists while Jarrett Allen added 24 points and 13 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points and added eight assists to lead the Chicago Bulls over host Milwaukee 118-113, dropping the Bucks to 12-5 despite 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Colby White and Nikola Vucevic sank back-to-back 3-pointers to give Chicago a 115-109 lead and DeRozan and Patrick Williams sank late free throws to seal the triumph.
T-Wolves defeat Pacers
Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while Frenchman Rudy Gobert contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds in Minnesota’s 115-101 victory at Indiana.
Myles Turner scored a game-high 31 points for the Pacers, whose five-game win streak ended.
Zion Williamson scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 129-110 victory at San Antonio. He shot 14-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-8 from the free throw line.
At Miami, Kyle Lowry scored 28 points and Caleb Martin had 24 to power the host Heat over Washington 113-105. Kyle Kuzman had a game-high 33 points for the Wizards.
The Brooklyn Nets, humbled by a loss Tuesday to a Philadelphia team lacking three top starters, bounced back by winning at Toronto 112-98.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 points, Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton each added 14 points and Kevin Durant had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Nets.
Terry Rozier scored 22 points and P.J. Washington added 19 to spark the Charlotte Hornets over visiting Philadelphia 107-101.
Shake Milton led the 76ers with 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Mason Plumlee and Nick Richards each had 13 rebounds for the Hornets.
The Denver Nuggets rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to win in overtime at Oklahoma City 131-126.
Nikola Jokic had a game-high 39 points plus 10 rebounds and nine assists for Denver and sank two clinching free throws with 8.3 seconds remaining in overtime.
Bruce Brown had a triple double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Nuggets while Aaron Gordon had 30 points for Denver. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points.
The focus will be on Damian Lillard in the Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal match, which is scheduled to take place at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Lillard is expected to join the Bucks roster. It is verified that Lillard will play on Tuesday night after being noticeably absent from the Bucks’ injury report. However, the Bucks are in a difficult situation due to two significant absences: swingmen Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder are out of the lineup for this pivotal game.
After the Bucks’ 112-97 defeat to the Orlando Magic, Crowder had surgery to repair an abdominal tear and his left adductor, which sidelined him until mid-January. Connaughton will also miss the Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks game in order to recuperate from an injured right ankle, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The team will have to overcome a hurdle as they prepare for future games without them.
Andre Jackson Jr.’s status for the next game is still unknown due to lower back problems that are producing spasms, according to Nehm’s report. Jackson wasn’t in the Milwaukee Bucks’ most recent game on Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks, but the effect of the two-day break might still play a major role in whether or not he is available for the upcoming game.
Damian Lillard emphasizes the significance of ultimate skill
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 132-121 in a thrilling game played at the Fiserv Forum, but it was the electrifying last five minutes that decided the outcome. When the score was tied at 114 points apiece, the Bucks went on an incredible run, defeating the Hawks 18-7 to win handily at home. The thrilling conclusion cemented the Bucks’ victory in an amazing basketball exhibition by showcasing their skill and tenacity.
Damian Lillard, who is well-known for his clutch exploits when playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, believes the Milwaukee Bucks have now mastered the essential components required to finish games strong. Renowned for his game-changing moments, Lillard believes the Bucks’ improved ability to close out games has potential.
Lillard said; “In those moments, everything you need to do well, we start to do well,” an article from sportskeeda.com mentioned.
Trae Young demonstrated his skill by leading the Hawks with an astounding 32 points, but he unexpectedly went scoreless in the pivotal fourth quarter, missing all five of his shots. Young had played brilliantly early in the game, but his inability to contribute much in the closing minutes created a noticeable hole in his scoring totals.
