It took two frustrating losses, but the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back with a statement. Playing against the Toronto Raptors, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance was hampered after his right pinky started incessantly bleeding. Still, the Greek Freak, with his unending resolve, kept going. Furthermore, he became a bright spark, taking on a different role. Antetokounmpo flaunted his skills as a decoy.

“He needed stitches, and he didn’t want to come out because he felt like he could finish. But it kept bleeding,” Rivers detailed about the two-time MVP. It happened in the very first quarter on a chase-down block. But even through the pain, one thing didn’t change. The Bucks talisman set the tone, but today it was with his playmaking.

“I got to tell you, he set the tone to start the game with his passing. You know it’s funny we are talking about how well he passes, but I just thought it set the whole tone for our team. And when your best player does that, it’s contagious. The ball just moved,” Rivers raved about Antetokounmpo.

The 30-year-old logged his fourth triple-double of the season. Ironically, while he scored a season-low in points only taking 8 shots, Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a season-high 13 assists tonight. And his magnetic presence wore off on every one of his teammates. The Bucks were electric offensive, shooting 57.3% from the floor and making half of their threes.

With Antetokounmpo’s chunk of scoring gone, collective contributions managed to make up for it. However, even that had the Greek Freak’s stains all over it according to Rivers.

“He also baited a couple of times. Very few people have the ability to do that. You know he had the ball probably could have went he kind of baited, made them come so he can pass. That’s fantastic when you have that going,” he said about Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

With such an inspiring performance, the Bucks will hope to continue with this momentum and get their season back on track.

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo have to miss time?

This must be the question at most. Surely the Bucks fans wonder whether their Greek phenom will be missing some games due to the stitches on his hands. While still effective, the Raptors’ defensive schemes aided Antetokounmpo to thread passes to his teammates. Now with his status known, there’s always a chance that teams blitz Lillard rather than his teammate.

Still, the least worried individual remains Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I’m fine. My finger is kind of numb, but I’m fine. I played the second half. It’s just stitches. I’m not going to overthink it,” the former DPOY said after his triple-double performance against the Toronto Raptors.

Throughout his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo has had several instances of playing through painful injuries. His will to win games and show up for Milwaukee far exceeds the discomfort he might feel. Hence, his attitude regarding the stitches isn’t surprising at all. With a day to rest, Antetokounmpo’s finger could heal enough for him to tolerate the pain better.

With his confidence and having watched him play for nearly 30 minutes, even Doc Rivers is looking, expecting, Giannis Antetokounmpo for their home game against the Spurs. “I don’t know. I think he’s good,” he told the media. Playing against Victor Wembanyama, that’s a game where Milwaukee will need size to counter the 7’3″ Frenchman.

Furthermore, the defensive pressure of Antetokounmpo can be considered essential in slowing down Wemby, who is guiding the Spurs to an uplifting season this year.