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Jamal Collier
multiple authors
milwaukee– box star giannis antetokounmpo admitted he felt rusty on Monday night 108-81 loss till boston celticsHis first game in more than five weeks after straining his right calf, but after the longest injury-related absence of his career, Antetokounmpo said he did not take getting back on the court lightly.
Antetokounmpo scored 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists in the loss.
“I’m just happy to be on the court,” he said after Monday’s game. “It doesn’t matter if I play 18 minutes, 20 minutes, 22, whatever, I’m just happy I’m out there. Obviously didn’t play well tonight, but at the end of the day, I’m just happy to be able to help my teammates any way I can and just do what I love, which is playing basketball.”
Antetokounmpo said he has become accustomed to returning quickly from injuries, exceeding even the most optimistic timelines. His most famous example came during the 2021 playoffs, when he injured his right knee during the Eastern Conference Finals before playing in the NBA Finals.
He thought he would be able to do the same thanks to a recurring shin injury that also caused him to miss three weeks in December, but he ended up missing 15 games after injuring his shin against. denver nuggets On 23 January.
“I’m 31 years old,” Antetokounmpo said. “Just have to be smart moving forward because the things I was able to do in the past, I probably won’t be able to do now.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before the game that Antetokounmpo would return with minutes restriction; He played 25 minutes on Monday.
“I’m not going to overdo it,” Rivers said before the game. “He hadn’t played in a while, so just getting him back and playing. It’s not like we had any big practices or shootarounds this morning, so it’s not the ideal way to get him back.
“But the fact that he’s available, you put him in and you figure it out.”
It was Antetokounmpo’s first game since last month’s NBA trade deadline, when both he and the Bucks explored their options for the future. The Bucks still want to prove to their superstar that their best chance to win another championship is in Milwaukee.
Instead of chasing better lottery odds, the Bucks are committed to chasing a playoff spot. Milwaukee is 26-34, in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 3 1/2 games behind charlotte hornets For the conference’s final play-in spot.
Antetokounmpo didn’t want to discuss the Bucks’ playoff prospects on Monday, reiterating that he’s happy to be back on the court and focused on finding his rhythm. He has missed 29 games this season due to calf and groin injuries, but he still entered Monday’s 30-game stretch averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Antetokounmpo made it clear that he wanted to return this season and reiterated after the game that he had never talked about shutting it down for the rest of the season.
“Right now, to be honest with you, I’m just happy I’m there,” he said. “I’ve had three injuries this year and I’m happy to be doing what I love. We’ve got 24 games left. That’s 24 games.”
Rivers said Monday that the Bucks kept Antetokounmpo out for an extended period of time as a precaution to help him recover from an injury after another long absence.
“We did that the first time; it didn’t work,” Rivers said. “But listen, this is basketball. You can go out and play and then you just have to hope he stays healthy.”
Despite such a lengthy absence, the Bucks found a way to hold their own, going 8–7 without Antetokounmpo, a vast improvement from their disappointing record (3–11) when he was previously sidelined. But after one of their best performances of the season, winning eight of 11 games in February, they have lost three in a row by at least 20 points.
“Just playing with better teams,” Bucks adds. bobby portis Said. “Really, kind of fool’s gold. Rolling eight out of 10, playing against bottom teams, teams that are trying to lose.
“Our goal has always been to win a championship and get to the Eastern Conference Finals and go deep, make a deep run. So it feels like just making the playoffs.”
