The matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers took a sudden turn tonight as Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the game, heading to the locker room in the second quarter after an awkward landing following an attempt at a layup, quickly fouling Cavs forward Evan Mobley to sub out.

Later, the team provided some clarity. The Bucks announced that the Greek Freak had suffered a left groin strain and would not return to the game. Soon afterward, it was revealed that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be undergoing an MRI tomorrow. Head coach Doc Rivers spoke to the media after the game, saying, “We won’t know anything until tomorrow. Didn’t look great, I can tell you that.”

Rivers also added, “He grabbed (his groin), I want to say in the first quarter, and I asked him then. He said it was fine. Then I think he grabbed it again, and he said it was fine. And then the third time, you know, is when it happened. But I think it happened earlier, in my opinion.”

After Giannis’ exit, Bucks center Jericho Sims started the second half. In the 13 minutes that Giannis played, he was effective, logging 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, with five rebounds, and four assists.

Before the game started, the Greek Freak had been listed as ‘probable’ due to left knee patellar tendinopathy, but his current injury seems to be unrelated. With him going out, the Bucks leaned into a taller lineup, prioritizing ball movement, including Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and Myles Turner.

But after the Giannis incident, chances for the Bucks look dire. The Milwaukee ace has been their offensive engine, playing a point-forward role as the Bucks have opted for a lineup without a traditional point guard. Instead, they have relied on shooting-heavy guards and wings, especially after the addition of Turner.

Meanwhile, Giannis attacks the paint, drawing all the attention. This style has kept the team afloat and has led to the 30-year-old player averaging a career-high in assists, as well as his most efficient scoring season to date, with a True Shooting Percentage of 66.3%.

Doc Rivers and the Bucks will need to adjust quickly, especially after tonight’s brutal loss to Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers Pull Away Late as Milwaukee Bucks Lose Giannis Antetokounmpo

Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell took control early tonight, pouring in 37 points and seven assists to keep Cleveland afloat as Milwaukee looked to grind out a win without Giannis. He scored 25 of those 37 in the first half, pushing the Cavs to a two-point lead at halftime. The game, however, continued to wildly sway with 17 lead changes and 10 ties before the fourth quarter happened.

That’s when Cavs guard Sam Merrill caught fire. The sharpshooter scored 11 of his 20 points in the final period, shooting 6-9 from three and sparking a run that helped the Cavs ice the game. His three-pointer to push the Cavs to 100-91 created the first comfortable cushion the team had all night, and he capped the run with a late layup for his second-highest scoring game of this season. Cleveland eventually managed to stretch their lead to 14, securing their latest win in a six-game homestand.

Meanwhile, the Bucks were forced to stitch together an offense after Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the game. In his absence, guard Ryan Rollins stepped in, contributing 24 points on five threes, keeping the game competitive as long as they could manage.

But without a game closer in Giannis, Cleveland steamrolled past them in the fourth, now winning seven straight over Milwaukee.

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Clearly, coach Doc Rivers’ “got some work to do” comment after the game came with a sense of urgency. But he positively spun the narrative.

“There’s always a silver lining. I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t look good right now. But we’re going to either find somebody or find something to run that will pay dividends later, and that’s the situation we’re about to go through,” Rivers concluded.

Milwaukee faces Philadelphia next at home on Thursday, November 20.