Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like his old self on Monday night in his return to the court.
But the Milwaukee Bucks failed to put up much of a fight at Fiserv Forum.
The Boston Celtics rolled to a blowout 108-81 win over the Bucks, spoiling Antetokounmpo’s return after a calf injury has kept him out for months. Antetokounmpo had a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. He went 7-of-18 from the field, too.
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But the Celtics led nearly the entire way in the dominant win. All five of their starters hit double figures, and Payton Pritchard led the team with 25 points while making five 3-pointers off the bench. The win, their third straight, got them to 41-20 on the season.
Antetokounmpo has battled the calf strain for most of this year. He first suffered the injury in early December and missed eight games before returning on Dec. 27 against the Bulls. In his first game back, he showcased his explosiveness with a windmill dunk in the final seconds of the game.
The 31-year-old’s return comes at an interesting time. Monday’s loss dropped them to 26-34 on the season, which has the Bucks just outside of the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference standings. While the Bucks held on to Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, there is no guarantee he will remain with the team after this offseason.
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With Antetokounmpo having played only 30 games this season, he is no longer eligible for NBA awards such as MVP or All-NBA honors. The NBA requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify.
Antetokounmpo appears to still want to compete despite trade speculation, award ineligibility and no guarantees of making the playoffs or play-in tournament. In the Nuggets game in which he re-injured himself, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said he tried to take his superstar out of the game, but Antetokounmpo was adamant about staying in.
Rivers told reporters in January there were no plans to shut down Antetokounmpo, despite there being no clear timetable for his return. He also said he has noticed similar injuries to players around the league and is still trying to determine the best way to keep Antetokounmpo on the court.
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Despite the Bucks not wanting to rush him back and risk re-injury, Antetokounmpo was seen practicing in early February. He also told reporters before the trade deadline that he wanted to be in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo should provide a significant boost to the Bucks, who have now their last three games. He entered Monday averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The Bucks are 11–17 without him this season.
But if Monday’s outing was any indication, the Bucks need more than just Antetokounmpo back on the floor to start winning again.