No structural damage to Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo knee
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is injured against Clint Capela #15 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second half in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals at State Farm Arena on June 29, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP
An MRI exam on the left knee of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed no structural damage, although the timetable for the return of the two-time MVP remains unclear, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo was injured in the third quarter of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. He was contesting an alley-oop attempt by the Hawks’ Clint Capela when he landed awkwardly and his knee bent.
He was initially diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and did not return to the game. The Hawks won the contest 110-88 to even the series 2-2 with Game 5 set for Thursday at Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo’s status for Game 5 remains in doubt.
"Giannis finds a way to lift people up. That's one of his special qualities." pic.twitter.com/n7OMtBsl4p
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 30, 2021
“We’ll take everything as it comes,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said after Tuesday’s game. “We’ll evaluate it. We’ve got a heck of a team, a heck of a roster.”
Hawks point guard Trae Young, who sat out Game 4 with a bone bruise in his right foot, will be a game-time decision for Game 5, interim coach Nate McMillan said.
Antetokounmpo was helped off the floor by his brother Thanasis after getting hurt with 7:14 left in the third period.
Before the injury, he had 14 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. He returned to the team’s bench less than three minutes later but headed back to the locker room once the Hawks took control of the game.
