Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back on the floor Monday night against the Boston Celtics, ending a stretch of more than five weeks on the sideline with a strained right calf.
The two-time MVP was hurt on Jan. 23 against the Denver Nuggets and missed 15 games. Head coach Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo will play under a minutes limit.
“I’m not going to overdo it,” Rivers told reporters before the game. “He hasn’t played in a while, so just getting him back in and playing is the priority.”
Antetokounmpo has now missed 29 contests this season because of the recurring calf issue. In the 30 games he has played, he is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Rivers noted the team held the 11th-year veteran out longer this time as a precaution. “You can go out and play and then you just have to hope he stays healthy,” he said.
Milwaukee went 8-7 during the latest span without its star, a marked improvement from the 3-11 record posted when he was previously unavailable. The Bucks enter Monday 26-33, three games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in position in the Eastern Conference.
“We’ve kind of found our way of how to play without him,” Rivers said. “Now we have to make sure we have the right group on the floor when Giannis is off the floor. That’s the key for us.”
Monday’s matchup also marks Antetokounmpo’s first appearance since last month’s trade deadline, when both player and team evaluated long-term options. Milwaukee opted to continue pushing for the postseason rather than improve draft positioning.
“Tonight’s a big game for us and then the next game’s a big game for us,” Rivers added. “That’s the situation we’re in, and we have to play through it.”
Source: ESPN
