Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup after another calf injury, but his postgame comments drew even more attention than his stat line. After the Bucks loss to the Celtics, the Milwaukee star admitted he has been stubborn and may have pushed his body too hard while dealing with soft tissue injuries all season.
The Milwaukee Bucks got Giannis Antetokounmpo back on the floor Monday night, but the bigger story came after the final buzzer. Following a 108-81 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Bucks superstar spoke honestly about the toll injuries have taken on him this season.
Giannis returned after missing time with a calf strain, the second time this year he has dealt with the same issue. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes, but he did not look fully in rhythm.
After the game, Antetokounmpo admitted that he may have made things harder on himself by pushing through injuries instead of slowing down.
"I'm just stubborn. I just gotta be smarter. I'm not old, but I'm older for sure. When you deal with a lot of soft tissue injuries, it's hard. I feel like I've been playing the whole year with like a deficit," Antetokounmpo said during a post-game press conference.
Milwaukee has struggled to stay competitive during his absences. They now sit 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-34 record.
Even with the injury issues, Giannis is still putting up elite numbers. He is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season.
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