Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out of the team’s Game 5 matchup with the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals. The team announced that Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended left knee during Game 4, but an MRI showed no structural damage or ligament damage.
“We’ve played games without Giannis, without Khris [Middleton], without Jrue [Holiday], without whoever it may be, and so hopefully you have a structure and a system where you can function at a high level on both ends of the court no matter who is playing,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Wednesday.
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Losing Antetounmpo is a major loss for the Bucks. The star forward is averaging 28.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists in the playoffs, this year.
In his place, Pat Connaughton will likely start,
“It’s not something where you … need to consciously think, ‘I need to do more,'” Connaughton said Thursday, after the team’s shoot around. “It’s just you’re ready for opportunities as they arise. Throughout the season, one of the, I would say, beautiful things about our team is you’re called to do different things on different nights.”
Game 5 is set to tip-off at 8:30 PM, ET on Thursday. The series is tied 2-2.
[Via]