The Milwaukee Bucks have been handling a slew of injury woes as of late, and it does not now assist matters in any respect that Bobby Portis is out for some time after being suspended for taking a banned substance. With the Bucks still battling for positioning within the Eastern Conference standings, having a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo around is a must, so with Antetokounmpo struggling through a calf injury in the recent weeks, the team has positioned him on a minutes limitation over the past three games—together with their 120-113 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

Antetokounmpo was supposed to be restricted to 31 minutes at night, but he ended up playing 55 extra seconds than the Bucks were supposed to have him play. After the game, the Bucks star laughed this off and stated that he can’t look ahead while the team lifts the limitation concerning his workload.

“Nah, nah, if he trusted me, he must have played me 36 minutes. He played me 40 seconds extra. He just could not get me out; that’s why. He tried to get me out, but he couldn’t,” Antetokounmpo said with fun, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“But yeah, with a bit of luck moving forward, I do not like playing with minutes restricted. I do not know how long that is going to last; however, hopefully, I can get back to playing my normal minutes and my regular rotation so I can get my rhythm back.”

At the very least, the Bucks are loosening up the restrictions on Antetokounmpo at quite a rapid rate. He performed in only 24 minutes in his first game back from injury against the Los Angeles Clippers, while he suited up in just 19 minutes in a win over old buddy Khris Middleton and the Washington Wizards.

Don’t expect the Bucks to be too lax, but even after Antetokounmpo recovers completely. After all, it was a calf injury that abruptly ended his 2023-24 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks might be figuring it out

Giannis Antetokounmpo is as dominant as ever, dropping 23 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in the Bucks’ win over the Heat. But in spite of Antetokounmpo’s brilliance, they’ve found it difficult to separate themselves from the pack inside the East.

But it seems like the Bucks’ trade-deadline acquisitions are working wonders; Kyle Kuzma has been providing greater size, athleticism, and rebounding than Khris Middleton, while Kevin Porter Jr. is earning his keep inside the rotation. Damian Lillard has additionally been playing well, and it looks as if Milwaukee is beginning to discern something out.