Antetokounmpo hurt after opening door to Bucks exit
Antetokounmpo barely lasted three minutes on the court before collapsing and leaving the game against the Pistons. Doctors are calling it a "calf strain" pending further tests.
Giannis is helped to his feet by his teammates.
Giannis Antetokounmpo fueled speculation about his future in Milwaukee, then suffered an injury during the Bucks' 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. His comments and the injury overshadowed the Clippers' first victory following the departure of Chris Paul.
"The Greek Freak" appears to finally be ready to move on in search of titles. According to ESPN, the leader of the 2021 champion Bucks and two-time MVP award winner (2019 and 2020) is in talks with management to discuss the possibility of his departure before the Feb. 5 transfer window closes.
Antetokounmpo had already expressed several times his dissatisfaction with the direction of the Bucks, who have failed to advance past a playoff round for three years. Just this summer, Milwaukee held preliminary talks with the New York Knicks, but ended up executing several maneuvers in the market in its umpteenth attempt to motivate its star, who can become a free agent in 2027.
The gamble didn't work out for the Bucks either, who have had a poor start to the season, and on Wednesday the NBA world was abuzz with speculation about the possible fates of the Greek, a figure capable of shaking the competition's equilibrium.
On the night, with all the spotlight on him, the power forward set off another set of alarms when he collapsed on the court at the start of the game against Detroit as he was driving back to his court after a basket.
Antetokounmpo, who had just provided the assist with a baseline jumper, took his hand to his right leg and left the game after just three minutes. Pending medical tests, the Bucks described the injury as a calf strain.
Without its leader, Milwaukee came from 18 points down against the Pistons but, when few expected it, it turned the score around to knock off the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Guard Kevin Porter Jr. was their leading scorer with 26 points while Cade Cunningham, the Pistons' star, scored 17 points and missed a three-pointer that would have tied the score with nine seconds left.
Detroit remains at the top of the East with 17 wins and five losses and Milwaukee climbed to 10th place at 10-14.
Clippers win without Paul
The Los Angeles Clippers, the other franchise that made big headlines on the day, also reacted with a 115-92 win over a shorthanded Atlanta Hawks.
James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, with 27 and 21 points, took over for the Clippers the day after they abruptly removed veteran Chris Paul from their roster.
U.S. media later reported that the relationship between Paul and coach Ty Lue was severely damaged, according to AFP.
Plunged into a serious sports crisis, the Clippers opted to take away the point guard, one of the franchise's greatest players whose contributions had become largely symbolic.
With Paul away from the locker room, the Clippers ended a five-game losing streak.
Murray riddles Indiana and allows Jokic to rest
In Indiana, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Pacers 135-120 on a night when Jamal Murray took the reins from Nikola Jokic, outshining his teammate's strong performance.
The Canadian point guard torched the reigning runners-up with 52 points, including an astounding 10-of-11 streak from 3-point range.
Denver, which is trying to pick up the pace of its great start to the season, dominated 72-48 at halftime, which allowed Jokic to avoid excessive wear and tear.
The Serbian center didn't sign a monumental triple double this time around like Monday's against Dallas but ended his night with 24 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists.
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