Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expects to miss four-to-six weeks after suffering a right calf strain late in Friday’s 102-100 defeat to the Denver Nuggets, he told reporters postgame, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The two-time MVP sustained the injury in the fourth quarter as he attempted to sprint upcourt. He grabbed his right leg and subsequently limped off the court.
Antetokounmpo watched the final 34 seconds from the bench.
The 10-time All-Star will undergo an MRI on Saturday. He said the injury felt similar to calf issues he’s dealt with in the past and he expects a similar prognosis.
Antetokounmpo missed eight games earlier this season with a right calf strain.
“Probably I popped something in my calf on my soleus,” Antetokounmpo said, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier.
Bucks head Doc Rivers expressed concern about his star player’s long-term health.
“I don’t think it looks great, personally. This calf keeps coming up and it’s concerning,” Rivers said postgame, according to Collier.
“I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him. There’s something that is there and it keep happening and that’s troublesome for all of us.”
Rivers added that Antetokounmpo appeared to be “favoring” his calf for most of the second half, but the former Finals MVP was “defiant” about staying in, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.
Rivers made the executive decision to pull Antetokounmpo once he saw him in visible pain late in the fourth quarter.
“On that one play, you could see him trying to run down the floor. To me, I had had enough,” Rivers said, per Nehm. “I didn’t ask. I just took him out. He actually wanted to go back in, that was a no for me.”
Antetokounmpo would miss next month’s NBA All-Star Game if an MRI confirms the timeline he provided. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will need to pick an injury replacement if that’s the case.
Antetokounmpo entered Friday’s matchup averaging 28.2 points, 9.9 boards, and 5.6 assists across 29 appearances this season.
The Greek Freak’s future in Milwaukee has been a hot topic ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline with the Bucks below .500 and out of the playoff field.
