The NBA trade deadline has potentially taken an unexpected turn.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left Saturday’s 102-100 loss (AEDT) to the Nuggets due to injury and told reporters after the game that he was dealing with a right calf or soleus strain.
He said he expected to miss four to six weeks and would have an MRI scan, adding that he thought the tests would show he had “ruptured something” in his calf.
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Head coach Doc Rivers said after the game that he thought Antetokounmpo was “favoring” his calf for much of the second half.
“Personally, I didn’t like what my eyes were seeing,” Rivers said, according to CBS Sports.
“Giannis was hesitant to stay. On that play you could see him trying to run up the field, I had enough. I didn’t ask, I just took him out. He actually wanted to go in. That was a no for me.
“He knew he should have gotten out. There was no disagreement or anything like that.”
Antetokounmpo didn’t come out until 34.2 seconds remained in the game, with the Bucks down five. As for what’s next, Rivers wasn’t sure, but he said he was concerned.
“Honestly, I don’t know yet. He was in the medicine room. Personally, I don’t think it looks great. This calf keeps coming up and it’s worrying. I’m not a doctor, but I’m smart enough to know that his calf keeps bothering him and there’s something that’s there and it keeps happening, and it’s embarrassing for all of us.”
Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists before going out.
The nine-time All-Star has been part of all kinds of trade buzz this season, but with an injury potentially sidelining him in March, that could put a damper on any potential deal.
This comes amid reports linking Antetokounmpo, nine-time All-Star, to Golden State Warriorswhile ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst said an Antetokounmpo trade before the Feb. 6 trade deadline (AEDT) was “more likely by the hour.”
“No one wants to be the bad guy but everyone wants the best conditions,” Windhorst said on ESPN.
“Giannis won a championship and had 12 incredible years in Milwaukee, he doesn’t want to hurt those fans. He wants to potentially be able to live in Milwaukee for the rest of his life when he retires.
“He doesn’t want to (request a trade). But clearly, he’s a smart guy. He understands the league. He can’t look at this situation and think it’s tenable.
“He wants to be the guy that the fans still come to the arena with and cheer for and love.”
– This item originally appeared in the New York Post and has been republished with permission
The Indiana Pacers toppled the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, 117-114, despite a 47-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win a rematch in the NBA Finals.
The Pacers, returning to Oklahoma City for the first time since losing in Game 7 of last season’s championship series, took a 39-28 lead in the first quarter then held off every Thunder charge.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder, trailing by 12 with 4:44 to play, twice cut the deficit to one.
The reigning MVP hit two free throws to bring the Thunder within 115-114 with 7.8 seconds left, but Jarace Walker answered with two free throws to seal the score for Indiana.
Walker said the victory “most definitely” meant a little more to the Pacers, who slumped to a league-worst record (11-35) with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined this season with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the Game 7 loss.
“Looking at what we did last year, it was definitely circled on the schedule and it was a great team win,” Walker said.
Andrew Nembhard scored 27 points and dished out 11 assists for Indiana. Walker added 26 points and Pascal Siakam added 21.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the Thunder’s slow start was too much to overcome.
“I think we played pretty well even though it wasn’t a good shooting night,” Daigneault said.
“We played well enough to win for 36 minutes and we needed 48. Credit them, they played all 48 and they held us back when we tried to get back into the game a few times.”
In Detroit, Houston star Kevin Durant scored 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting to help the Rockets end the East-leading Pistons’ four-game winning streak.
Tied at halftime, the Rockets outscored the Pistons 34-20 in the third quarter to take control, never trailing in the fourth.
Alperen Sengun added 19 points for the Rockets, who were coming off an overtime loss at Philadelphia a day earlier.
Amen Thompson added 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Houston – earning statistical bragging rights from his twin brother Ausar, who scored 12 points with eight rebounds and three assists for Detroit.
Jalen Duren scored 18 points to lead the Pistons, with Cade Cunningham adding 12 points and eight assists in his return from a one-game injury absence.
The Boston Celtics, fueled by Jaylen Brown’s triple-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, beat the Nets 130-126 in double overtime in Brooklyn.
Payton Pritchard led Boston’s scoring with 32 points and Michael Porter Jr scored 30 to pace the Nets.
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Brooklyn center Nic Claxton’s dunk made it 104-104 with 1.9 seconds left in regulation.
After five lead changes in the first overtime, Boston’s Spanish rookie Hugo Gonzalez scored three points to tie it again and force the second extra session, in which the Celtics never trailed.
After suffering one of the most humiliating beatings in team history, Jordi Fernández challenged his Nets to show more fight – and they did, but without a win.
The Nets (12-31) have lost a dozen of their last 14 games, the worst being a 120-66 Thursday (AEDT) against the Knicks. It was the second-largest margin of defeat in franchise history and their lowest score since a 90–65 loss to Miami on March 12, 2005.
“Yes, it depends on how you react. Obviously you don’t like feeling embarrassed. It was a difficult feeling,” Fernández said. “But we were together and the best thing you can do is (Thursday) watch film, talk to each other, work this morning, start again and go out there and respond as a group. … Again, how you react is how you should be judged.”
The Phoenix Suns lost 110-103 to the Hawks in Atlanta, a loss made even more painful by the departure of star guard Devin Booker after rolling his ankle late in the third quarter.
Booker had scored 31 points before going out with the Suns 91-84. Onyeka Okngwu scored 25 points for Atlanta and Jalen Johnson added 23 points and 18 rebounds.
-AFP
