Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo out and not playing for the Bucks?

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Atanu Bera

Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo out? Let us know the reason and also when will he return

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently unavailable to play for the Milwaukee Bucks due to a knee injury.

Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo out
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks watches action from the sideline during the first half of a game against the Toronto Raptors at Fiserv Forum on January 17, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

On Tuesday night, ‘Greek Freak’ Giannis missed his fourth NBA game in a row due to his ongoing knee issue. Notably, the Bucks hosted the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

However, there is no need to be concerned about Giannis’ injury. It is confirmed that the injury of Giannis is not that significant and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer further said they “expect for him to be ready to go soon,” but will continue taking things day by day.

Moreover, no setbacks have occurred throughout this procedure of recovering from the injury, and the decision to allow Antetokounmpo to sit down is based on discussions between Giannis and the medical team about how his knee feels.

“We continue to think it’s the stuff that he and us have dealt with — for me it’s each year that I’ve been here,” Budenholzer said on Monday. “We don’t think it’s anything more than that. Him being healthy, taking care of him is always our priority, we’re probably always going to err on the side of caution because we know how important he is to us.”

When will Giannis Antetokounmpo return to action?

Antetokounmpo missed his fourth consecutive game due to his lingering knee issue. Honestly speaking, the Bucks need the services of Giannis at this point of the season. Milwaukee is 9-9 in their last 18 games and is barely hanging to second place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Philadelphia 76ers are right behind the Bucks.

Furthermore, Khris Middleton remains unavailable due to his own knee problem, and now Giannis has joined Middleton to an extended stretch on the sideline. Also, before the game with Raptors, Jrue Holiday missed five games in a row.

The Bucks are now 6-4 with Antetokounmpo out of the lineup this season. Milwaukee next plays the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Although there has been no decision made about Giannis’ status for the Cleveland game, it can be assumed that Antetokounmpo will take the floor against Cavaliers. This is because he will have had a full 10 days off to rest and rehab his knee.

“He’s doing a lot of work in the weight room, he’s doing some work on the court, he’s doing some of his warm-ups,” Budenholzer said on Tuesday. “All of those things are part of keeping his knee, keeping everything to where he can play at a high level. That’s why — I know it’s the fourth game now and that’s not what you want — in our eyes we’re very encouraged and optimisitc that he’s in a good place. We’re just working through another season with him.”

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