For the fourth-straight game, the Milwaukee Bucks operated on the court without their best player, asGiannis Antetokounmpo remained out for Wednesday night’s road gameagainst the Miami Heat.
Antetokounmpo has been missing games because of a groin injury he suffered in a meeting last week with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, the Bucks have gone winless, going 0-4 after their 106-103 loss to the Heat.
For a moment heading into the Miami game, there was a glimmer of hope that Antetokounmpo would be able to give it a go, as he was upgraded to questionable. But he ended up getting labeled out for the contest. For Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers, it was the right decision, as he did not feel too confident about the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player getting unleashed in South Beach.
Here’s what Rivers said about Antetokounmpo’s desire to play against Miami before getting ultimately ruled out (viaEric Nehm of The Athletic):
No. I was not in favor (of him playing). I was very happy we decided what we decided. I was very uncomfortable with it. He really wanted to push and that’s who Giannis is. I was very happy with our medical team today. They decided at the end of the day, let’s wait. Obviously, as a coach, I can’t get involved but so much, but I told Giannis this morning – that it should be a no tonight. Then, the medical team told him as well. What makes Giannis this great is that it was a yes from him. We just thought it was the right thing to do. We gotta protect him sometimes.
Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrate in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo play in Bucks’ next game against Knicks?
Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walks on the court in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
The question now turns to whether Antetokounmpo will be back from injury in Milwaukee’s next game, which will be against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York this Friday. That remains to be seen, but based on the fact that he got a questionable label on Wednesday suggests that he is trending in the right direction.
The Bucks have lost their last six outings, as they continue to figure out their way out of a slump that has gotten them three games below .500 with an 8-11 record.
Nov 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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