The Milwaukee Bucks are 17-24 on the season and are set to take on the Atlanta Hawks, who are 20-24, on Monday afternoon. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day game, which will take place in Atlanta, sees two teams vying for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, face each other, desperate for a win.
Both the Bucks and Hawks have lost three games in a row, though Atlanta remains two games ahead of Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference standings. Currently, they hold the 10th and final seed in the playoff picture, while the Bucks sit at 11th.
Of course, having Giannis Antetokounmpo playing a full game without a minutes restriction would go a long way to helping Milwaukee get back on the winning track. Unfortunately, it does not sound like that will be happening today or any time soon.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers will not take Giannis Antetokounmpo off his minutes restriction
Jan 15, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Giannis missed much of the month of December with a calf strain. During his absence, the Bucks went 2-6 and many hoped that his return from the injury would lead to more wins. Unfortunately, it has not and Milwaukee has gone just 5-5 since he returned.
Since coming back from injury, head coach Doc Rivers has had Giannis on a minutes restriction in an effort to keep him healthy, and he told Bucks reporters before the game in Atlanta on Monday that he sees no end in sight for that decision.
“No, not anytime soon,” Rivers said in response to a question about whether Giannis would be off his minutes restriction on Monday. “This was planned, though. I think it is frustrating for Giannis. It’s definitely frustrating for us, but we feel strongly that this is the right thing to do. And we’re not going to come off of it. Probably for a while.”
This is not what Bucks fans wanted to hear obviously, as they are hoping that their team can turn it around with Giannis, soon to be a 10-time All-Star, leading the way.
For now, though, it sounds like he will be stuck to playing around 30 minutes a game.
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