Giannis Antetokounmpo is worryingly forced out of the Bucks game against the Heat in the first quarter with a knee problem – but his team still records an emphatic 128-99 win
Giannis Antetokounmpo left with a right knee problem late in the first quarter to spoil his quick return from a sprained wrist, but the Milwaukee Bucks still defeated the Miami Heat 128-99 on Friday night for their 13th consecutive victory.
Antetokounmpo was in the starting line-up just four days later on his way to New York to have his right wrist examined. The two-time MVP was on the floor late in the first quarter when he passed the ball and immediately gestured to the bench as the Bucks called a timeout to allow him to go to the locker room.
Bucks officials said in the second quarter that Antetokounmpo knocked an opponent to the knees and would not return to the game. He had four points, four rebounds and four assists in just six minutes.
The Bucks still had no trouble extending the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. The Bucks advanced more than four minutes into the game and rolled to their most lopsided win of the season.
Jrue Holiday scored 24 points and drew perhaps his biggest ovation of the night when the scoreboard video caught him singing along with the crowd during a timeout late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo left late in the first quarter with a right knee problem
Holiday also had seven assists and five rebounds while shooting 5 of 9 from 3-point range.
Bobby Portis had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a sprained right medial collateral ligament that forced him to miss 11 games. Brook Lopez had 17 points, Grayson Allen 16 and Khris Middleton 12.
Jimmy Butler scored 23, Bam Adebayo 18, Tyler Herro 14 and Caleb Martin 13 for the Heat, who shot only 9 of 40 on three-point attempts.
Kevin Love and Cody Zeller made their Heat debut after signing with Miami during the All-Star break. Love, which had reached one buy out with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was in the starting lineup but went winless in his first game in a month.
He had eight rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes. Zeller played his first game of the season and had 10 points in 16 minutes.
Yes Crowder, acquired at the trade deadline, made his debut in 2022-23 for the Bucks, racking up nine points in 16 minutes. Crowder hadn’t played at all for Phoenix this season when the Suns tried to deal him.
