Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t let a little blood stop him. On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks star needed three stitches to close a cut near the base of his right pinkie after banging his hand on the rim while chasing down a fast-break dunk by RJ Barrett. But instead of sitting out, Giannis returned and led the Bucks to a 128-104 win over the Toronto Raptors.
“It’s just stitches,”Antetokounmpo said after the game, brushing it off like it was no big deal. “My finger is kind of numb, but I’m fine. I played the second half. I’m not going to overthink it.”
Even with the injury, Giannis logged his fourth triple-double of the season. He put up 11 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in just three quarters of action. While the Bucks controlled the game, Antetokounmpo made sure his presence was felt, even if his ballhandling was a bit affected.
“You could see it bothered him,” said Bucks coach Doc Rivers. “But he didn’t want to come out. He’s tough like that.”
Bucks dominate behind Lillard’s scoring and Giannis’ grit
Giannis wasn’t the only one doing damage. Damian Lillard led Milwaukee with 28 points, hitting six three-pointers, while Khris Middleton added 21 points. The Bucks were clicking on both ends, holding Toronto to just 38% shooting and keeping RJ Barrett to 14 points after his flashy dunk in the second quarter.
The win was never in doubt. Giannis played all but 34 seconds of the third quarter, but the Bucks pulled away early and didn’t need him in the fourth. At 19-6, Milwaukee is sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings and looking every bit like a championship contender.
Rivers isn’t worried about Giannis missing time. “I think he’s good,”Rivers said. “We’ll keep an eye on it, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
The Bucks will face the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, giving Giannis a chance to rest his hand before heading back to the grind. For now, it’s just another day at the office for the Greek Freak.
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