The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t have much fun Monday night.
They fell behind early against the Boston Celtics and never recovered in a 108-81 loss.
But there was one positive. Namely, Giannis Antetokounmpo was back.
The two-time MVP finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes in his first game after a 15-game absence due to a calf strain.
“It doesn’t matter if I play 18 minutes, 20 minutes, 22, whatever, I’m just happy that I’m out there,” Antetokounmpo said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I’m just in a mindset where I try not to take nothing for granted.
“Obviously, did not play well tonight, but at the end of the day, I’m just happy that I’m out there being able to help my teammates in any way that I can and just do what I love, which is play basketball.”
He admitted he felt “a little bit rusty.”
At 31, he also acknowledged something else.
“Moving forward, I just gotta be smarter,” he said. “I’m not 24 years old anymore. I’m 31. … If you’re not able to take care of your soft tissue injuries, they can linger. And I think that’s what has happened this year. I feel like I’ve been playing the whole year with like a deficit.”
Rotation Shakeup
Coach Doc Rivers also tweaked things.
Kyle Kuzma received a DNP-CD. Ousmane Dieng moved into the starting lineup and scored 13 points in a team-high 30 minutes.
“I loved what ‘Ous’ did,” Rivers said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “This young kid, we gotta give him as many minutes as we can while we’re trying to win games.”
Veteran Gary Harris also saw extended run.
Basically, Milwaukee is searching for answers. At least it has its franchise player back while it does.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
