The Milwaukee Bucks have been dealing with a slew of injury woes as of late, and it does not help matters at all that Bobby Portis is out for some time after being suspended for taking a banned substance. With the Bucks still battling for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings, having a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo around is a must, so with Antetokounmpo suffering through a calf injury in recent weeks, the team has placed him on a minutes restriction over the past three games — including in their 120-113 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday night.
Antetokounmpo was supposed to be limited to 31 minutes on the night, but he ended up playing 55 more seconds than the Bucks intended for him to play. After the game, the Bucks star laughed this off and said that he cannot wait for when the team lifts the restrictions regarding his workload.
“Nah, nah, if he trusted me, he should have played me 36 minutes. He played me 40 seconds more. He just couldn’t get me out, that’s why. He tried to get me out, but he couldn’t,” Antetokounmpo said with a laugh, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“But yeah, hopefully moving forward, I don’t like playing with minutes restriction. I don’t know how long this is going to go for, but hopefully, I can get back to playing my regular minutes and my regular rotation, so I can get my rhythm back.”
At the very least, the Bucks are loosening up the restrictions on Antetokounmpo at quite a rapid rate. He played in only 24 minutes in his first game back from injury against the Los Angeles Clippers, while he suited up in just 19 minutes in a win over old pal Khris Middleton and the Washington Wizards.
Don’t expect the Bucks to be too lax, however, even after Antetokounmpo recuperates fully. After all, it was a calf injury that prematurely ended his 2023-24 season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks might be figuring it out
Giannis Antetokounmpo is as dominant as ever, dropping 23 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in the Bucks’ win over the Heat. But even with Antetokounmpo’s brilliance, they have found it difficult to separate themselves from the pack in the East.
But it looks like the Bucks’ trade deadline acquisitions are working wonders; Kyle Kuzma has been providing more size, athleticism, and rebounding than Khris Middleton, while Kevin Porter Jr. is earning his keep in the rotation. Damian Lillard has also been playing well, and it looks like Milwaukee is beginning to figure something out.
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