Giannis Antetokounmpo Suffers Brutal Non-Contact Injury as Bucks Rocked With Major Concern

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with 9:08 left in the first quarter on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. The two-time MVP aggressively drove to the basket before passing to AJ Green for an uncontested layup. Antetokounmpo casually jogged back to play defense before suddenly slumping to the floor.

Antetokounmpo immediately signaled the team to call a timeout. He nearly slapped the floor in frustration while his teammates came over check him. Antetokounmpo got up with help from teammates before gingerly walking back to the locker room.

The Bucks announced a few minutes after Giannis Antetokounmpo left the floor:

"Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) will not return to tonight's game."

Last season, the nine-time All-Star missed multiple games due to the same injury, making it a major concern for the 9-13 Bucks. Milwaukee is 1-5 without Antetokounmpo this season and struggles badly on offense when he's not playing.

The Bucks are averaging 109.3 points per game without Antetokounmpo, the worst in the NBA. They have a 124.3 offensive rating with him, a figure that plummets to 105.0 when he is sidelined, a staggering 19.3 differential.

Still, the Bucks will not rush him to return. Teams have been wary of calf strains, so it wouldn't be surprising if the they sideline him for at least a few weeks.

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Bucks lost to Pistons in first meeting without Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks hosted the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 22 without Giannis Antetounmpo, who dealt with an adductor strain. Sans the Greek Freak, the Bucks competed well in the first quarter before the Pistons steadily overwhelmed them. Milwaukee entered the fourth quarter trailing 104-85, allowing the Detroit to coast to a 129-116 win.

Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks relied on balanced production from the starters. Point guard Ryan Rollins led them with a team-high 24 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal. The frontline of Bobby Portis and Myles Turner tallied 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks together.