Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled doubtful for Saturday night’s Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks.
It’s an opportunity for somebody else and everybody else to step up,” Coach Mike Budenholzer said.
The Hawks went on to win that game and tie the series.
But the Bucks bounced back without Antetokounmpo Thursday night in Milwaukee for Game 5.
They won 123-122 and lead the series 3-2.
Antetokounmpo was on the sidelines to cheer on his teammates to victory.
He landed awkwardly on his left leg in an attempt to beat Hawks center Clint Capela to a rebound.
Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo worked in the weight room Thursday but did not take the floor during shootaround this morning.
No update yet on if he will be available to return for the series.
The Bucks are one win away from an NBA finals berth.
They left Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport Friday afternoon for Atlanta without a public sendoff.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported sources told him Wednesday there was “no structural damage” to Antetokounmpo’s knee, but a timetable to return to play was still unclear.
Antetokounmpo underwent an MRI Wednesday and subsequent examination by team physician Dr. Carole Vetter of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network.
The MRI confirmed the earlier diagnosis.
Further updates will be provided as appropriate, the team said.
Budenholzer described Antetokounmpo’s prognosis as being “pretty positive” news given the way the injury looked.
“We will take it day-by-day and see how he’s doing,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Eric Pifel is an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Franklin.
He spoke to WISN 12 Wednesday to help explain Antetokounmpo’s injury.
“The thigh bone went over the shin bone, and hyperextended,” Pifel said, while explaining on a model. “What happened with that inside, the meniscus, the cartilage, the ligaments all get stretched in the opposite direction.”
He said anytime an athlete leaps in sports, there is the possibility for hyperextension.
“These guys have been playing for months and months, and they tire and sometimes they land, their muscles don’t fire the right way or they put their foot in the wrong position and they hyperextend it, it’s very, very common,” Pifel said.
Antetokounmpo could return for the rest of the series and potentially the NBA finals, depending on how well the team does.
Pifel does not treat Antetokounmpo, but said he does not believe it would be possible for him to play in the next few games.
“I find it improbable based on the mechanism. Maybe he got lucky and this just really irritated the bone and soft tissue,” Pifel said. “I think that is optimistic. I think most likely he’s going to have something fairly significant that would limit him from this series.”
Antetokounmpo winced in pain after landing on the court.
He was immediately met by Bucks team trainers and remained on the floor for several minutes.
Antetokounmpo was helped off the court and to the locker room by teammate and older brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
He was examined in the locker room and ruled out for the remainder of the Bucks-Hawks game.
Antetokounmpo came back to the court and walked unassisted before returning to the locker room.
He signed a 5-year, $228 million supermax contract with the Bucks at the end of last year.
The 26-year-old has been selected as the NBA MVP in back-to-back seasons.
