Giannis Antetokounmpo entered Monday’s matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers on the injury report. While he was cleared to play, the veteran front-court star couldn’t remain in the game.
During the first half, Antetokounmpo left the court to get evaluated for a potential lower-body injury. As the Bucks prepared for the second half, Antetokounmpo was ruled out for the remainder of the matchup.
According to the Bucks, Giannis is dealing with a left groin strain.
The absence of Antetokounmpo will always have an impact on Milwaukee, considering how dominant he’s been throughout his career. However, that was especially true on Monday, as he was having a productive outing.
In the 14 minutes he played, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in shots taken with 10 field goals. He finished the game 6-10 from the field, scoring 14 points. He led his team in scoring before going out. In addition, Antetokounmpo had five rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
The Bucks are looking to improve to 9-6 on the year. With a victory, they could bring the Cavs to the same record in the Eastern Conference.
This year, Antetokounmpo has been on the injury report frequently due to patellar tendinopathy. However, he rarely missed action and remained a dominant presence on the court for the Bucks.
He missed just one game back in October, and recently had an absence against the Charlotte Hornets last week. Although he missed the November 12 matchup on the road in Charlotte, Antetokounmpo played in the following two games. He last checked in for 31 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 15. At the time, Giannis scored 32 points, while coming down with 10 rebounds.
Leading up to Monday’s action between the Bucks and the Cavs, Giannis has appeared in 12 games. During that first stretch, the veteran has posted averages of 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists. He made 63 percent of his shots from the field and 50 percent of his threes, while taking just 1.5 attempts per game.
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