Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss one to two weeks with a low-grade left groin strain, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.
The Milwaukee Bucks star hurt himself during Monday’s 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers noticed something was wrong early in the game. Giannis kept grabbing at his left groin multiple times before eventually leaving.
“He grabbed it in the first quarter, and I asked him and he said it was fine,” Rivers explained. “Then, I think, he grabbed it again, and he said it was fine. Then, the third time is when it happened, but I think it happened earlier, in my opinion.”
Giannis was able to walk out of Rocket Arena without help. Before the injury, he had put up 14 points while shooting 60% from the field, along with five rebounds and four assists in just 13 minutes of first-half action.
Rivers called the MRI results “good news” during an interview Tuesday on the “Courtside with Gale Klappa” podcast.
“I don’t know what grade it is, but I know it’s not a bad one, so that’s good news for us,” he said. “But yet still, probably two weeks he’ll be out. And we’ll see. Hopefully less, but most likely in that area.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for the Bucks.
Giannis, who turns 31 in December, has been playing some of the best basketball of his career this season. He’s averaging a career-high 31.2 points and 6.8 assists per game, plus grabbing 10.8 rebounds per contest.
He’s been carrying a massive workload for Milwaukee. His 36.4% usage rate is his highest since the 2022-23 season and ranks second in the entire NBA.
The numbers tell the story of just how important he’s been. Entering Monday’s game, Giannis ranked third in total points (405), seventh in rebounds (141), second in made field goals (156), and second in free throw attempts (132).
The Bucks now sit at 8-7 after Monday’s defeat.
They’ll need to manage without their superstar for a challenging stretch that begins Thursday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers. That kicks off a three-game homestand that continues with matchups against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday and Portland Trail Blazers next Monday.
