Giannis Antetokounmpo has a new injury that has taken him out of action

On By Littum

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MIAMI – The Milwaukee Bucks received an unwelcome surprise about an hour before tip-off Tuesday night when Giannis Antetokounmpo’s left knee puffed up following his pregame warmups at the Kaseya Center.

He had come into the game as likely to play with a left calf strain—notable in itself, as a left soleus strain in his calf ended his season last year—but he had gone through a morning shootaround and took his scheduled court time to warm up.

But he was immediately downgraded to questionable with what the team called an effusion, or swelling, in his left knee. It is a new injury for him this season. He had surgery on that knee in the summer of 2023.

The team announced the change in Antetokounmpo’s status just as Doc Rivers was about to begin his pregame press conference.

“It’s breaking news to me right now, too,” Rivers said. “So we’ll just wait and see.”

When asked if there was concern about the initial injury designation for a calf strain, Rivers said, “No, no, I mean, listen to how he’s playing and how he’s working, there’s going to be things like this and when they come , you just have to deal with them,” Rivers said of any concerns about the calf injury.

Prior to the trip to Miami, Antetokounmpo had previously been listed on the injury report with tendonitis in his right knee.

What is an effusion?

An effusion is a synonym for swelling in the soft tissue around a joint. This can be caused by several factors, including injury or infection.

Check back for more as this story develops.