Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down on the floor holding his knee after a dunk against the Indiana Pacers. The sight wasn’t uncommon this season. Antetokounmpo has missed games due to knee ailments. The two-time MVP exited to the locker room after sensing some discomfort. The Bucks were hopeful they wouldn’t have to see this again. Since they did, there’s no clarity on what happens next.

Head coach Doc Rivers explained the injury from his perspective. According to Eric Nehm, Rivers “says he’s guessing that Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee on this dunk in the third quarter”. The team doesn’t know anything for sure. Rivers isn’t even sure whether the medical team will order imaging of the knee.

Antetokounmpo is also left in a grey area regarding the injury. He agrees with Rivers’ diagnosis, but wants to give it some time. When asked about the procedure to follow, the Greek Freak revealed he will give himself some time to determine the extent of the injury.

“I’m just going to, you know, go back home. Just sleep, see how I feel tomorrow. Try to lift some weights. And if I have a little bit of discomfort, then I’ll go from there. But as of now, I’m not really bothered,” the Bucks cornerstone told reporters.

If it is diagnosed as a hyperextension, Giannis Antetokounmpo may have to miss games depending on the severity of the injury. If it’s only a mild sprain, the Greek Freak could be back in a few weeks. Anything above could require multiple months. A positive note is Antetokounmpo’s ability to put weight on his knee still.

When walking back to the locker room, the Bucks ace didn’t need any assistance. Sure, he must have felt discomfort while walking. But the fact that he could do it on his own could suggest the injury isn’t highly concerning.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to come back

Having lost their last four leading up to Indiana, Antetokounmpo’s patience was running thin. He wants to fight for Milwaukee. And in just 23 minutes, the Greek Freak proved he’s a man of his word. Antetokounmpo dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists in just three quarters.

His only objective was to secure a win and snap the Bucks’ skid. Antetokounmpo didn’t want to let an injury stop him.

“I’m not trying to make it bigger than what it is. I feel like I could finish the game, but um, the training staff thought it wasn’t smart for me to do so. So, I just got to trust them and go from there,” Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed to reporters. The medical team had their reason to advise the franchise mainstay to rest.

At the time Antetokounmpo wanted to go back in, the Bucks were comfortably leading over the Indiana Pacers. So his focus has now shifted to the next thing. Giannis Antetokounmpo trusts his body and understands when it needs a break.

The fact that he felt well enough to go means there isn’t any major ailment to worry about. Hopefully, that is the case because for the Bucks to save any face this season, Antetokounmpo needs to keep playing with the dominance he showed tonight.