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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on January 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Milwaukee Bucks landed a major boost on Monday, March 3. The veteran superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court after recovering from a calf strain.
Despite the return of the former MVP, the Bucks didn’t have the willpower to overcome the Celtics in Wisconsin. The Bucks suffered a 108-81 loss against Boston.
After the game, Antetokounmpo addressed his current standing after dealing with injury woes throughout the year.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Speaks On Setbacks
Giannis Antetokounmpo
GettyMilwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court on Monday night.
“Things I could do in the past, maybe I can’t do anymore. I’ve just got to be smarter,” Antetokounmpo admitted to reporters.
“I’m not old, but I’m older for sure. I’m not 24 anymore—31, but I’m still 31. It’s not like I’m 36 or 37. When you deal with a lot of soft-tissue injuries, it’s hard. I’ve dealt with knee pain in the past; it’s totally different. If you’re not able to take care of soft-tissue injuries, they can linger. I think that’s what happened this year, and I feel like I’ve been playing the whole year with a deficit.”
Antetokounmpo started the 2025-2026 NBA season in the MVP conversation. Through his first 13 games, he averaged 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.
From November 20 to the 26th, he missed his first stretch of games. After returning to the court in late November, Giannis was back on the injury report for most of December.
A long absence didn’t do the veteran big man any favors. While he managed to average just under 30 minutes of action throughout a 13-game stretch while ringing in 2026, Antetokounmpo suffered another setback during the Bucks’ January 23 matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
From that point on, the two biggest questions surrounding the Bucks were focused on Giannis. Will he get traded? And if not, will he play again this season?
The trade deadline passed, and Giannis stayed in Milwaukee. While some NBA rumors suggested he would call it a year, Monday’s events confirmed that wouldn’t be the case.
After missing 15 games in a row, Giannis was cleared to make his return on March 3. He started and played 25 minutes against the Celtics. The veteran put up 19 points while shooting 7-18 from the field. He missed both of his free throws.
Along with his scoring, Giannis came down with 11 rebounds, while dishing out two assists and blocking one shot.
The Bucks have a goal to make a late-season push into the playoffs. They’ll have to work their way into the Play-In—a picture they are currently outside of by 3.5 games. The Charlotte Hornets hold the 10th and final spot with a 30-31 record.
It’s clear the Bucks are better with Giannis on the floor, whether he’s at 100% or not, but it might take some time before he gets back to an MVP-caliber version of himself. Clearly, his latest admission suggests that health has affected his play throughout the year.
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Even with that being the case, he’s still having a strong campaign in year 13.
This season, Antetokounmpo has averaged 27.7 points (63% FG), while coming down with 10.1 rebounds per game, and producing 5.5 assists per game. Defensively, he’s averaging around one steal and one block.
Following Monday’s loss, the Bucks will be back on the court on Wednesday, March 4. They are slated for a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.