Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Wednesday’s game in Charlotte with what the Bucks listed as patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, though coach Doc Rivers made it clear they were mostly protecting their superstar during a brutal stretch of the schedule.
Milwaukee is in the middle of a five-games-in-seven-days run, and Rivers said this matchup had long been circled as the logical rest spot.
“It’s just a lot,” Rivers told reporters, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “If we were going to sit him, this was the game. It gives him four days off. I was actually trying to talk him into not playing, which is rare for me.”
Antetokounmpo has been dominant through his first 10 outings, averaging 33.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 blocks in just under 33 minutes a night. He has now missed two games this season.
The Bucks won without him on October 30 against Golden State but dropped Wednesday’s meeting with the Hornets, falling to 7-5.
Pacers
T.J. McConnell finally made his season debut Tuesday, but it didn’t change the result. Indiana gave up 152 points in a blowout loss to Utah, the most allowed by the defending East champs this season.
McConnell didn’t sugarcoat anything afterward.
“Pitiful,” McConnell said of the defensive effort, via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “We just have to be better in terms of fight and pride.”
The Pacers are now 1-10 and still searching for any sort of foothold after opening the year with a long list of injuries.
Lakers
South Bay is closing in on the acquisition of guard Kobe Bufkin, who is entering the G League player pool, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Whether South Bay claims him directly or trades for his rights after another team makes a claim, the expectation is that he will land with the Lakers’ affiliate.
The 15th pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin never found traction in Atlanta because of a string of injuries: a fractured left thumb, a sprained toe, and ultimately season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024.
He made only 27 NBA appearances in two seasons. Brooklyn took a flier on him this offseason but waived him in October during roster cuts.
Bufkin was a productive scorer and playmaker at Michigan and excelled in the G League in 2023-24, averaging 23.6 points and 5.9 assists for College Park. If he proves he’s healthy, he should get a real look.
With only two years of NBA service, he remains eligible for a two-way contract.
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