Bucks Zone

Wrist injury spoils Giannis Antetokounmpo’s historic night

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a short but historic night.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo set yet another franchise record on Thursday night, but the milestone came with a price.

Bad luck

Antetokounmpo suffered a wrist injury that forced him to leave prematurely in the Bucks' 112-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls. With still more than 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Giannis tried to block a driving Coby White before sprawling to the floor.

Antetokounmpo grimaced in pain as he laid on the floor clutching his left wrist. He was then brought to the locker room and never returned. The Greek Freak only played for nine minutes, a short stint that proved more than enough to set a franchise record in assists.

Antetokounmpo tallied two points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He now has 3,274 assists, surpassing the 3,272 that Paul Pressey made from 1982 to 1990.

Franchise legend

Now in his 10th year with the Bucks, the two-time MVP already owns several franchise records. He leads the Bucks in defensive rebounds (5,493), free throws made (3,892), free throw attempts (5,483), blocks (893), points (15,817), and triple-doubles (32).

According to Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, initial findings on Antetokounmpo's injury were "hopeful," and the X-ray was "clean."

"We'll just see how he feels tomorrow, see how he feels the next few days, and continue to evaluate it," Budenholzer said.

Antetokounmpo's injury was the only downer in what was a resounding night for the Bucks, who came away with the 12th straight win that shoved them closer to the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics.

Milwaukee heads to the All-Star break with a 41-17 record, while the Celtics are first with a 42-17 record.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.