Bucks Give Update On Giannis Antetokounmpo After Injury Vs. Celtics

The Milwaukee Bucks had to immediately fear the worst when Giannis Antetokounmpo fell to the floor with no one around him and clutched his leg in the third quarter of Tuesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Antetokounmpo needed help off the court and limped back to the locker room where he remained for the rest of Milwaukee’s 104-91 win at Fiserv Forum.

But the Bucks, their fans and Antetokounmpo can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The Bucks announced shortly after Antetokounmpo left the game that he is dealing with a left soleus strain in his calf. That certainly feels like the best-case scenario as Antetokounmpo looked to have suffered a serious non-contact injury. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski did note that the Bucks star will undergo an MRI on his left calf.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is concerned over the injury.

“That’s a good question. High,” Rivers told reporters of his concern level, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “But he’s Giannis. I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. We’re just going hope for the best.”

Antetokounmpo’s injury bears watching with only three games left in the regular season. If it takes him time to recover or if it’s a recurring injury, it could impact the Bucks in the playoffs. And Milwaukee obviously is a different team without Antetokounmpo, who came into the game against the Celtics averaging 30.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists on the season.

Antetokounmpo was banged up in the playoffs last season and missed two games of Milwaukee’s opening-round series against the Miami Heat. The Heat went on to knock out the Bucks in five games.

The Bucks are Boston’s biggest foe in the Eastern Conference, but that all hinges on the health of Antetokounmpo.