CLEVELAND — The Milwaukee Bucks have yet to provide a formal update on the left groin strain Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered in the first half of the team’s 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 17 at Rocket Arena, but head coach Doc Rivers said that Antetokounmpo will be out one-to-two weeks.
Antetokounmpo had an MRI once the team was back in Milwaukee on Nov. 18.
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“Yeah, it went pretty well,” Rivers told Bucks+, the team’s in-house radio show. “I don’t know what grade it is, but I know it’s not a bad one, so that’s good news for us. But yet it’s still probably two weeks he’ll be out. And we’ll see. Hopefully less but most likely in that area.”
If Antetokounmpo is indeed out for two full weeks, he would miss up to seven games.
The 30-year-old MVP candidate had scored 14 points in 13 minutes before committing a foul to stop play with 3 minutes, 3 seconds left in the first half and immediately walked to the Bucks locker room in clear discomfort in his left abdominal area.
Before stopping play, Antetokounmpo had driven into the lane into several Cavaliers defenders and was knocked to the ground. While on the court, he immediately indicated he was in pain, but got up and ran down the court before eventually committing the foul.
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The first time he was in obvious discomfort, however, was with just under 11 minutes to go in the second quarter as he battled for offensive rebounding position. Other than Cleveland big man Thomas Bryant holding Antetokounmpo’s left arm as the ball went up, the play itself seemed rather innocuous as Bucks guard Gary Harris made a basket.
On his way back down the court, Antetokounmpo’s natural gait was interrupted and once the Cavaliers scored in front of the Bucks bench, Antetokounmpo again expressed discomfort in the area – so much so Bucks coach Doc Rivers checked on Antetokounmpo as he inbounded the ball. Rivers said after the game that Antetokounmpo told him he was fine.
When play stopped at about the 8-minute mark, he moved his left leg up and forward – like in a hurdling motion – heading into an official review of a technical foul on Bryant, and the 7-footer stayed in the game until the 7:08 mark. On his last play before subbing out, Antetokounmpo again indicated some discomfort after he made an explosive move to the basket that was blocked out of bounds
He returned about three minutes later, and on the play he was injured he made another move to the basket through traffic and was knocked to the ground.
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Antetokounmpo has played 70 or more games just one time since the 2018-19 season, but has rarely missed large chunks of games. The longest period he has been injured for was a nine-game stretch that included the first round of the playoffs at the end of the 2023-24 season when he strained a soleus muscle in his left calf. He has missed stretches of five games twice (2021 and 2023) and six games twice (2021 and 2025). Other than the calf issue, Antetokounmpo has rarely dealt with soft tissue injuries.
Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss time with injury
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