With the Milwaukee Bucks desperate to have him back, Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return Friday night at Madison Square Garden after missing four games due to a left groin strain. Naturally Doc Rivers had him on a pitch count, limiting the Greek Freak to 28 minutes on the court in which he poured in 30 points, 15 boards, and eight assists in the 118-109 loss.
If it’s up to him, Giannis won’t let that affect his availability in Brooklyn on Saturday. He knows that after suffering a seventh straight defeat, the Bucks are no less desperate to have him on the floor versus the lowly Nets as they were in an NBA Cup elimination game against New York. Despite his questionable tag on the injury report, even on a back-to-back, Antetokounmpo is determined to play more, not less than he did in his first game back.
Giannis not about to stand by while his team flounders without him
“I know how the protocol is,” Giannis said postgame on Friday. “I know when you come back with my injury, there’s got to be a minute restriction, no matter what you want to do. It doesn’t matter what kind of game it is.”
Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles up court during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It was a big one for the Bucks, not so much because of Cup implications as for the need to get back in the win column. Not many NBA fans will tune in to watch Bucks-Nets on a college football Saturday, but for Milwaukee it is a critical contest. Falling to the 3-15 Nets for an eighth consecutive L would be the low point of the season thus far.
Giannis is well aware of the game’s deceptively high stakes, no lower in reality than yesterday at MSG.
“Would I want to play more? Yes. Could I play more? I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo evaluated his performance against the Knicks. “But I know one thing for sure: Tomorrow, I will play more minutes, and I’m going to try to help the team win.”
In addition to hopefully having Giannis in uniform again, the Bucks could be in for a boost if Kevin Porter Jr., also listed as questionable, makes his own long-awaited return. Porter has not played this season after spraining his ankle nine minutes into the season opener and injuring his knee in practice days later.
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