There appears to have been some miscommunication between Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and star player Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the latter’s injury status.
Antetokounmpo missed all six games of the Bucks’ first-round series against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf injury. While the injury wasn’t deemed season-ending, the Bucks had expressed “significant concern” about Antetokounmpo’s health before the series began.
In the lead-up to Game 6, which resulted in the Bucks’ elimination, Rivers indicated that Antetokounmpo was “close” to a return. The veteran coach echoed that sentiment Friday during his exit interview with the media.
Rivers told reporters that Antetokounmpo “was really close” to a return. Rivers added that he was unsure if the Bucks star would have been cleared had his team forced a Game 7, but the veteran coach felt like the decision “would have been to the deadline.”
Doc Rivers conducted an exit interview with the media here in Milwaukee today.
Here was Rivers' response, when asked if Giannis Antetokounmpo would have actually been available if the Bucks advanced in the postseason: pic.twitter.com/utkmqgkUwk
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) May 3, 2024
Antetokounmpo also spoke to reporters on Friday about his recovery progress. The 2-time MVP did not sound as confident as Rivers about his chances of returning during the series.
“I wasn’t even close in checking the boxes, but I was trying to push myself … to get to a place where maybe I don’t check the boxes but I can just go out there and help. But in our opinion, it was not safe for me to be out there because I could not run at full speed,” admitted Antetokounmpo.
“Probably going to take a few days, weeks, months, whatever, I don’t know how long it’s going to take to get back where I need to get back to.”
Ultimately, he said that he couldn't check the necessary boxes to get cleared to get on the floor.
Antetokounmpo: pic.twitter.com/0fKOeWvAWS
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) May 3, 2024
Antetokounmpo’s co-star Damian Lillard also missed two games in the series due to injury. Lillard was able to return in Game 6, which the Bucks ultimately lost 120-98.
