MIAMI – Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the Milwaukee Bucks’ 106-103 win against the Miami Heat on Tuesday due to swelling in his left knee. Although he was listed as “probable” before the game with a calf strain, Giannis went through his pregame routine and shootaround, but felt discomfort in his knee right before the game.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was informed about an hour before the game that Giannis would not be playing. Rivers quickly gathered his coaching staff and adjusted their game plan. Even after the game, Rivers wasn’t exactly sure what caused the flare-up with Giannis’ knee, but he trusted the decision to rest him.
“Giannis doesn’t miss many games,” Rivers said. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it was the right thing to do.”
The good news for Giannis and the Bucks is they don’t play again until Saturday night in Milwaukee, giving Giannis some time to recover.
With Giannis sidelined, Damian Lillard stepped up big time, leading the team with 37 points and 12 assists. After the game, Lillard emphasized that the team would continue to rely on everyone to pitch in when someone like Giannis is out.
“It’s always going to be done by committee,” Lillard said. “Everybody has to do a little more when someone important is missing, but I know the guys are going to look to me to step up.”
This season, Giannis has been on fire, averaging a career-high 32.4 points and shooting nearly 61%. He’s also grabbing 11.9 rebounds and dishing out 6.4 assists per game. This was just the second game he’s missed, the first being a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 4 due to a right adductor strain.
Despite missing their star player, the Bucks still managed to grab their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 9-9. This is a big turnaround from their tough 2-8 start to the season.
“It wasn’t looking good at 2-8, but we stayed together as a team, kept fighting, and asked ourselves, ‘What can we do better? What needs to change?’” Lillard said.
“We’re not celebrating yet, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction. We’re beating good teams, winning both at home and on the road, like tonight without Giannis. The way we’re playing now is sustainable, and it shows that we’re doing what we wanted to do when the season began.”