CLEVELAND – Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was forced out of Monday’s 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter after suffering a left groin strain. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed postgame.
“Didn’t look great, I can tell you that,” Rivers said. “We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Rivers revealed that Giannis began favoring the groin as early as the first quarter and grabbed at it several times. With 3:03 left in the second, Antetokounmpo committed a foul on defense, hobbled up the floor, and headed straight to the locker room. He was ruled out for the second half.
“He grabbed it in the first quarter and told me it was fine,” Rivers said. “He grabbed it again and said it was fine. The third time was when it really happened — but I think it started earlier.”
Antetokounmpo finished with 14 points (6-10 FG), 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in just 13 minutes. He walked out of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse under his own power with no visible limp.
The Bucks were outscored 59-49 after halftime and shot only 38.6% as they dropped to 8-7 and suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
“We want to get into the paint as much as possible — without him it was tough,” forward Kyle Kuzma said. “We’ll hit the film and figure out adjustments if this groin thing keeps him out.”
Antetokounmpo had been enjoying one of the hottest starts of his career, averaging 32.6 points on 63% shooting, 11.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists over his first 12 games. His 36.4% usage rate entering Monday was the second-highest in the league and his highest since 2022-23.
Milwaukee is now 1-1 this season in games Giannis has missed. With the injury cloud hanging over their two-time MVP, Rivers is already bracing for a stretch without him.
“We’ve got work to do,” Rivers said. “There’s always a silver lining — I just don’t know what it is yet. If we’re missing Giannis (and potentially Kevin Porter Jr.), that’s not ideal, but we’ll find something that pays off later. We’ll be ready.”
