Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo easing back into action, the Milwaukee Bucks fell 129-114 to the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum. The loss dropped their 2025-26 regular season record to 27-37, highlighting the team’s ongoing struggles to find consistency while their star recovers from injury.
Antetokounmpo, playing with a minutes restriction, recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 32 minutes on the court. He shot a solid 10-of-18 from the field and shared optimism about how his body is responding to the return from injury.
“If it’s going to be 25, 30. I’m happy that I’m at 30, that means next game I’ll probably be a little bit higher,” commented the Bucks superstar during his postgame availability.
Doc Rivers on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury scare
Mar 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket between Phoenix Suns forward Haywood Highsmith (19) and guard Jalen Green (4) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The game included a few tense moments, as Antetokounmpo seemed to tweak his ankle twice. Still, head coach Doc Rivers minimized concerns, indicating there was no setback to the forward’s recently injured calf.
“Yeah, I don’t know, I was scared. The one time he went down in the first half, he said he was fine, he just tripped over a guy’s foot, so there was no injury. And then he got hit in the groin. And I’m thinking that’s a calf the way he went down, that’s what you think and then he told me that (he was hit in the groin). And then he was just winded. Phoenix plays at a high pace, draw and kick, and it takes multiple efforts and a lot of players to play them. We didn’t have the players with a lot of guys out. And I thought, as the game went on, you could see it wearing us down,” Rivers said via The Athletic’s Eric Nehm.
Mar 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walks off the court during the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
On Thursday, the Bucks face a formidable test at Kaseya Center against the Miami Heat. They will need to contain Bam Adebayo, fresh off a historic 83-point game, the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points and Kobe Bryant’s 81.