MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers says he anticipates Giannis Antetokounmpo missing about a month as the two-time MVP recovers from a strained right calf.
Initial reports indicated Antetokounmpo would be out two to four weeks. Rivers suggested Friday that it would likely be on the higher end of that timeline.
''Let's hope he's back sooner, but I'm going to guess it's more in the four-week range,'' Rivers said before the Bucks' game with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rivers emphasized the importance of caution with calf issues to avoid the risk of a player getting hurt more severely.
''And so that may take longer than we want,'' Rivers said. ''That even may make Giannis frustrated over it. But we've just got to try to get that right.''
Antetokounmpo injured his calf in the opening minutes of a 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
He had just assisted on AJ Green's layup less than three minutes into the game when he headed back up the court and slipped in the painted area. Antetokounmpo went down, clutched his right leg and eventually was helped up before walking to the locker room.
Rivers said after that game that he believed Antetokounmpo's injury may have stemmed from contact he made with a Detroit player while driving along the baseline just before passing to Green.
