Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was forced to leave Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers after suffering a groin injury.
The team announced he would not return after being diagnosed with a left groin strain.
He scored 14 points in just 13 minutes against the Cavs before exiting.
Antetokounmpo’s injury comes as the Bucks sit in 8th in the Eastern Conference at 8-6. Antetokounmpo is once again putting together an outstanding campaign, averaging 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game entering the day as he looks for his third MVP award.
The star power forward previously missed a game in October while dealing with a knee injury.
Antetokounmpo dealt with a handful of injuries last year that forced him to miss 15 games, but he still put together an outstanding season that had him in the MVP conversation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić. He averaged g 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, leading Milwaukee to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, they faced a third consecutive first-round exit.
Antetokounmpo’s offseason was filled with speculation over whether he’d request a trade out of Milwaukee, but he ultimately decided to stick it out with the franchise that drafted him, and now he’s looking to bring them another title.
Antetokounmpo is one of the few players in NBA history who gives his team a chance to compete no matter who is on the roster, and that remains the case this year. Of course, the Bucks’ success relies mostly on him being available.
