Giannis Antetokounmpo Out for Bucks vs. Thunder Because of Knee Injury

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Saturday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of left knee soreness.

Any injury to the 27-year-old, big or small, is going to be a concern in Milwaukee, and for good reason. He is a two-time MVP, six-time All-Star, the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time first-team All-NBA selection.

Oh, and he led the Bucks to a title in the 2020-21 season.

Antetokounmpo has also continued to improve, averaging an impressive 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals in the 2021-22 season. It was a testament to the strong seasons of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid that he finished a distant third in the MVP voting to that pair.

While perimeter shooting remains his one weakness—he came into this season shooting 28.8 percent from beyond the arc—Antetokounmpo showed improvement at the free-throw line last year, bumping his average back up to 72.2 percent after dipping below 70 percent the previous two seasons.

The 2013 first-round pick did give the Bucks a scare in early September, leaving a EuroBasket game for Greece with an ankle problem. While he was seen limping after that game, national head coach Dimitris Itoudis played down the injury.

"It's all good," he told reporters at the time.

Antetokounmpo is one of the truly unique players in the NBA, and his impact for the Bucks is immense, so replacing him is impossible. On Saturday, look for Bobby Portis to take his place in the starting lineup.