Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo out with swelling in knee

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MIAMI (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league’s main scorer this season, was unexpectedly held out of the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Cup sport on the Miami Warmth on Tuesday evening with swelling in his left knee.

He had been anticipated to play till about an hour earlier than the sport. The staff had Antetokounmpo listed as possible with a strained left calf, after which the knee situation evidently flared up.

Damian Lillard scored 37 factors to assist the Bucks beat the Warmth 106-103 for his or her fifth consecutive win.

“I by no means know,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated, about 90 minutes earlier than sport time and moments after the staff stated there was a problem with the knee. “Truthfully, that’s breaking information to me, too, proper now.”

Milwaukee doesn’t play once more till internet hosting Washington on Saturday. The NBA — underneath the participant participation coverage that went into impact final season — has a rule stating that “until a staff demonstrates an authorised purpose for a star participant to not take part in a sport,” it should have the star gamers “for all nationwide tv and NBA In-Season Match video games.”

Antetokounmpo, a two-time Kia MVP, clearly qualifies as a star participant by league definition, and the sport in Miami was each nationally televised on TNT and an NBA Cup sport. The league fined the Atlanta Hawks $100,000 earlier Tuesday for violating the coverage by holding Trae Younger out of a Cup sport in opposition to Boston on Nov. 12, after a probe concluded he may have performed.

Antetokounmpo — the reigning Japanese Convention participant of the week, an award he has captured 24 occasions — not enjoying in opposition to the Warmth doesn’t essentially imply there’ll even be a league investigation. The eight-time All-Star is averaging a career-best 32.4 factors on 61% capturing this season, and he performed in 16 of Milwaukee’s first 17 video games.

“Pay attention, the best way he performs and the way he works, there’s going to be issues like this,” Rivers stated. “And after they come, you simply take care of them.”