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Jamal Collier, ESPN
MIAMI — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Tuesday’s 106-103 victory over the Heat due to swelling in his left knee.
Antetokounmpo, who had been listed as probable on the team’s pregame injury report Tuesday despite being listed with a calf strain, took a shootaround Tuesday morning and did his pregame warmup routine before of feeling discomfort in your knee.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was told about an hour before the game that Antetokounmpo was out, then he met with the coaches and adjusted the game plan accordingly. Even after the game, Rivers was still unclear about what had happened and what happened to Antetokounmpo’s knee.
“Giannis doesn’t miss many games,” Rivers said. “Whatever it was, I’m sure it was the right thing to do.”
The Bucks won’t play again until Saturday night in Milwaukee, giving Antetokounmpo a few days to recover before their next game.
Damian Lillard carried the load with Antetokounmpo out, recording 37 points and a game-high 12 assists.
“It’s always going to be a committee,” Lillard said after the game. “Everyone is going to have to do a little more with a hole like that in our lineup, but I know the guys are going to expect me to step up.”
Antetokounmpo has been on a roll this season, averaging a career-high 32.4 points on 60.8% shooting to go along with 11.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists. He missed his second game of the season; He also missed the 116-114 loss on November 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a right adductor strain.
Despite missing out on their two-time MVP, the Bucks notched their fifth straight victory on Tuesday, moving their record back to .500 (9-9) on the season. It’s a major improvement over the team’s disastrous 2-8 start to the season.
“Being 2-8 and not feeling good about it, but our team sticks together, keeps fighting and looking in the mirror like, ‘What do we need to improve on? What do we need to change?’ We’ve done it,” Lillard said.
“It’s not something we’re looking at and celebrating, but the fact that we’re going in the right direction because of the way we’re playing. We’re beating good teams. We’re winning at home. “We’re winning on the road, a game like this one. night, without Giannis. “The way we are doing it is sustainable and shows that we are doing what we wanted to do at the beginning of the season.”
