Giannis Antetokounmpo refutes claim by HC Doc Rivers

There appears to have been some miscommunication between Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and star player Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the latter’s injury status.

Antetokounmpo missed all six games of the Bucks’ first-round series against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf injury. While the injury wasn’t deemed season-ending, the Bucks had expressed “significant concern” about Antetokounmpo’s health before the series began.

In the lead-up to Game 6, which resulted in the Bucks’ elimination, Rivers indicated that Antetokounmpo was “close” to a return. The veteran coach echoed that sentiment Friday during his exit interview with the media.

Rivers told reporters that Antetokounmpo “was really close” to a return. Rivers added that he was unsure if the Bucks star would have been cleared had his team forced a Game 7, but the veteran coach felt like the decision “would have been to the deadline.”