Bucks’ Doc Rivers refutes notion of Giannis suffering ‘non-contact’ injury

The Milwaukee Bucks endured a roller-coaster night in their 113-109 comeback win over the Detroit Pistons (17-5), but the most alarming moment came just three minutes into the game.

Their star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo fell on the floor while sprinting back on defense, immediately grabbing at his right leg. The two-time MVP was forced to leave the game with what the team later diagnosed as a “right calf strain.”

After the win, head coach Doc Rivers addressed the play, pushing back on the idea that Antetokounmpo simply went down untouched. Rivers explained that the sequence involved “contact” before Giannis lost his balance.

“I don’t think it was no contact either,” Rivers said during the post game presser, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I thought the bump, if you watch, the bump drive, that’s what threw him off balance. He got bumped then and then somebody landed on top of him, so I thought the bump is what made him lose his balance. And then it looked like no one was around, but I thought it was the bump that threw him off balance.”

Giannis appeared to suffer a leg injury early in the game vs. Detroit. He was able to walk off on his own. pic.twitter.com/RYLETO8BjL

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 4, 2025

Antetokounmpo did not return in the game, finished it with two points, one rebound, and one assist before heading to the locker room on his own.

For a team that is navigating turbulence both on and off the court, the early signs that Giannis may have avoided a catastrophic injury provide some relief. However, Milwaukee will now await further imaging to determine the exact timeline for Antetokounmpo’s return.

Despite losing their star, Milwaukee (10-13) rallied behind strong performances from Kevin Porter Jr. who poured in 26 points. Meanwhile, Ryan Rollins added 22, and Jericho Sims posted a career-best outing with 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Bucks erased an early 27-9 deficit and clawed back to within three by halftime.

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