MILWAUKEE — The timing of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return to action remains unclear from the Milwaukee Bucks, as he is recovering from a calf strain and was expected to be out for four to six weeks.
The two-time MVP said after the Bucks’ 102-100 loss to Denver on Friday that an MRI scan revealed a strain in his right calf or soleus muscle. Bucks coach Doc Rivers confirmed the calf strain diagnosis on Monday, but did not speculate on when Antetokounmpo might return.
“There’s really no schedule,” Rivers said.
Antetokounmpo, 31, suffered a right calf strain in the first half of the game against Denver. He didn’t seem comfortable for the rest of the night and left for good with 34 seconds left.
“I felt like I couldn’t explode,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “I could jog. I couldn’t stand on my toes, so I jogged on my heels for most of the game. I didn’t have the explosiveness, but I still felt like I could help. When it finally popped out, I had to pull out. I couldn’t walk.”
Antetokounmpo previously missed eight games from Dec. 5-26 due to right calf tightness. He missed the 2024 playoffs and 2025 All-Star Game due to a strained left calf muscle.
Rivers said the Bucks do not plan to rest Antetokounmpo for the remainder of the season despite his calf issue.
“I don’t think about that,” Rivers said. “But listen, there’s no timetable either.”
The Bucks (18-26) have lost five of their past six games and sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, putting their ninth consecutive playoff appearance in serious jeopardy. This season, they are 15-15 with Antetokounmpo and 3-11 without him.
Antetokounmpo admitted Friday that if the Bucks had performed better, he would have been taken out of the game sooner. Instead, he played 32 minutes, recording 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists.
“I think this speaks volumes about his character and who he is as a person and as a player,” Bucks forward Bobby Portis said.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 30 games this season.
The Bucks have also played the past two games without second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. due to an oblique strain. Rivers said he doesn’t yet know when Porter will be available again.