Bucks fall to Raptors with Giannis Antetokounmpo out after dental surgery
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ 114-106 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Walt Disney World on Monday night due to last-minute oral surgery, the team announced before the game.
Specifics surrounding the surgery or what led to Antetokounmpo’s tooth pain remain unclear, though Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer did say that the cause was not basketball-related.
Antetokounmpo, however, did not have to leave the bubble for the surgery. Had he done so, he would have had to quarantine for at least four days.
“The league has protocols as far as dealing with dental and situations like this that Giannis and our sports performance group were able to follow and adhere to,” Budenholzer said before the game, via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Very, very fortunate the league has thought through everything. He obviously needed some attention and was able to get it and he’s going to be with us today and we’ll see about playing and when that’s going to happen.”
Antetokounmpo has averaged 29.8 points and 13.7 rebounds this season, both better than his MVP campaign last year. He put up 34 points and had 13 rebounds in the Bucks’ 136-132 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Shorthanded Raptors handle Bucks
The Raptors, who had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, opted to rest several key players, too. Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka all sat during the contest.
Despite that, however, they have very little issue taking control of the game.
After bouncing back and forth early, Toronto quickly jumped out to a 14-point lead at the break. The Raptors then pushed that lead to 22 after opening the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run. Though the Bucks cut it to single digits in the final minutes, it was simply too late. The Raptors held on to grab the eight-point win, their fifth since play resumed.
“Really our thoughts and our focus should be on how do we get to an elite defensive team and being a team that’s being really good on that end,” Budenholzer said. “I think that will really take the pressure off the turnovers and the offense. Until we get better on that end, that’s where our focus should be.”
“We have to get to a better place defensively”
Coach Bud reflects on the #Bucks’ loss to the Raptors and gives us an update on Pat Connaughton and Wesley Matthews pic.twitter.com/rS0DmdwhW5— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) August 11, 2020
Chris Boucher led Toronto with 25 points off the bench. Matt Thomas added 22 points off the bench, while shooting 4-of-8 from the 3-point line.
Kyle Korver led Milwaukee with 18 points off the bench, and Khris Middleton dropped 17. The Bucks have already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They have two seeding games left inside the bubble, Tuesday against the Washington Wizards and Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
It’s unclear when Antetokounmpo will take the court again next, or if he will do so before the postseason starts.
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