Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Monday's loss to Cavaliers due to adductor injury
The Cavaliers snuck out a 116-114 win on Monday night, which dropped the Bucks to 1-6 on the season
Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in Cleveland.
Antetokounmpo missed Monday's 116-114 loss to the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse due to a right adductor strain. Antetokounmpo had been considered questionable leading up to the contest after he initially went down with the injury in Saturday's loss to the Cavaliers in Milwaukee, and he participated in their shootaround normally on Monday morning. The team, however, determined that Antetokounmpo simply wasn't ready to play.
The Bucks did not provide many details about the injury, and it's unclear if the two-time NBA MVP will have to miss additional games. The Bucks will host the Utah Jazz next on Thursday, which gives Antetokounmo a few extra days to recover.
"It helps, for sure," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said of the break between games, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He hates missing games, as you guys all know. And he draws them out even when; like I had decided in my own mind that he shouldn't play tonight right when they told me he that he was sore [on Saturday]. But I always let them [tell me]. I was happy when they said — not happy because you want him to play — but for his health I think it's the right thing."
Antetokounmpo has once again been key on both sides of the court for Milwaukee, leading the team in points and rebounds. So far this season, Antetokounmpo is off to his typical dominant start, averaging 31 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks fell once again on Monday night despite nearly rallying out of a 19-point hole in the second half. The Cavaliers snuck out with the two point win behind 39 points from Darius Garland, who dropped seven 3-pointers in the contest. That improved Cleveland to a perfect 8-0, which matched the best start in franchise history.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 36 points and seven assists, and Bobby Portis had 21 points and 18 rebounds. The Bucks have now lost six straight games and hold just a 1-6 record, which has dropped them to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Since 1970, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, 150 teams have started a season 1-6 or worse. Only 12 of those teams have made the playoffs in that season, and none of those teams won more than 47 games.
"A 1-6 start like you said is ugly, you know what I mean? But when you look at the big picture, it's such a long season, Lillard said, via the Journal Sentinel. "There's 75 games left, and I've been part of teams that have won 16 straight, 14 straight. Sometimes, you just get in a ditch. Sometimes it can happen at the middle of the season, sometimes it can happen at the end of the season ... We know what we're capable of, it's just a matter of putting it together."
If Antetokounmpo isn't ready to go on Thursday, the Bucks will take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday night before returning home for a three-game homestand starting on Sunday.
