Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for against Los Angeles Lakers
By Adam McGee
Giannis’ ankle
For one brief moment during Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s career-best 52-point outing on Sunday against the 76ers, all of Fiserv Forum fell silent, and Bucks fans everywhere held their breath.
Landing on James Ennis‘ foot, Antetokounmpo’s right ankle rolled over and he hit the floor before writhing uncharacteristically in pain. The MVP frontrunner took a minute to compose himself, returned to his feet to take his free throws, and from there put in a phenomenal showing throughout the rest of the game.
Antetokounmpo’s ability to continue and thrive was an incredibly positive sign, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to feel the effects of that incident once the adrenaline wore off. This was something Antetokounmpo even directly pointed to following the game:
Giannis on his right ankle: “It feels good. Tweaked it, I think, a little bit. At first you feel a little bit of pain, but when that adrenaline kicks in you’re able to keep playing. It was a big game. I just wanted to keep playing.”
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) March 17, 2019
Heading into Tuesday’s game, Antetokounmpo is unsurprisingly listed as questionable. With a matchup with LeBron James on the agenda, Giannis will be determined to play.
Considering Antetokounmpo’s history of ankle sprains, if there’s any doubt at all, the Bucks may have to step in and exercise some caution in preserving their superstar for the more important battles ahead.