Bucks eye season shutdown for injured Giannis Antetokounmpo; star insists on return
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Milwaukee — The Milwaukee Bucks have asked Giannis Antetokounmpo to sit out the remainder of the season following his latest knee injury, but the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player has rejected the idea and hopes to play again, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The team announced Tuesday that Antetokounmpo, 31, is sidelined with a left knee issue. Additional reporting indicates he will miss at least one week because of a hyperextension and bone bruise suffered during the third quarter of Sunday’s home loss to the Indiana Pacers, when he landed awkwardly after a dunk.
Milwaukee is 28-40 and sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, 6½ games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in berth. With postseason hopes fading, the Bucks approached their franchise cornerstone about ending his season, according to The Athletic.
Health troubles have limited Antetokounmpo to 32 absences this year, the highest total of his 10-season career. The Bucks are 11-21 when he does not play and 17-19 with him in the lineup.
The organization has not released a formal timeline for his return, leaving Antetokounmpo’s status uncertain as the regular season winds down.
Source: ESPN
