Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Sunday’s 2021 NBA Finals rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks announced that their two-time MVP will sit out Sunday’s game with left hamstring soreness. It’s just the fourth game Antetokounmpo won’t play this season.
Antetokounmpo has already exceeded last season’s tally with 64 games played. Averaging his most minutes per game (35.0) since 2017-18, the 29-year-old has registered 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
Although he missed a game against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month, Antetokounmpo has posted four consecutive double-doubles with at least 30 points. The Bucks are a distant second to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings at 43-24.
Per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said Saturday that he didn’t want to pressure his star player into competing or not. He told Giannis that he’d rather him try to be a hero in June than in March.
“The only thing I said was, I don’t know your body,” Rivers said. “I just want you to be healthy, and you got to use your own [judgment] … I don’t get involved because I’ve learned players can read that as me pressuring them to play or not to play, and you just can’t win with that. I just wanted him to know that it’s OK if he can’t go.”
While Giannis is out, the Bucks welcomed back another All-Star on Sunday. Khris Middleton is playing for the first time since suffering a left ankle sprain on Feb. 6.
The Bucks and Suns are tipping off at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.