Bucks rip Heat 128-99 after Giannis exits early with knee issue

MILWAUKEE(AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks sure didn’t let Giannis Antetokounmpo’searly exit bother them Friday night as they rolled to theirmost-lopsided victory of the season.

Now they waitto learn whether they might have to continue playing without thetwo-time MVP

Antetokounmpoleft late in the first quarter with a right knee issue to spoil hisrapid recovery from a sprained wrist, but the Bucks still trouncedthe Miami Heat 128-99 for their 13th consecutive triumph.

“I haven’tgotten the full breakdown, but I’m pretty sure either on a a driveor on a screen or something like that, he knocked knees withsomebody and just wasn’t able to return,” said Bucks coach MikeBudenholzer, who had no update beyond that.

Antetokounmpowas in the starting lineup just four days afterheading to NewYork to have his right wrist examined.

“Sometimesyou have to stop him from himself, being able to calm down andmaybe even not play a couple of games, knowing that we’re No. 2 (inthe East), knowing that we’re all right,” said Jrue Holiday, whohad 24 points. “I know he doesn’t like it. He tries to play everysingle game, which I completely understand. I feel like I’m thesame way.”

Antetokounmpowas on the floor late in the first quarter when the two-timeMVPpassed the ball and immediately motioned to the bench asthe Bucks called a timeout to enable him to head to the lockerroom.

Giannis has headed to the locker room.👀#FearTheDeer| #NBApic.twitter.com/IxLyOh1swN

He had fourpoints, four rebounds and four assists in just six minutes.

The Bucksstill had no trouble extending the longest winning streak in theNBA this season. The Bucks pulled ahead for good four minutes intothe game and rolled to their most lopsided victory of theseason.

“It didn’tslow them down one bit when Giannis went out,” Heat coach ErikSpoelstra said. “They just put it in overdrive.”

Holiday shot5 of 9 from 3-point range, had seven assists and five rebounds. Hedrew perhaps his biggest ovation of the night when the scoreboardvideo caught him joining the crowd singalong to the BackstreetBoys’ “I Want It That Way” during a timeout late in the fourthquarter.

“That’s aclassic song,” Holiday said. “And we were winning. So goodvibes.”

Bobby Portishad 18 points and 11 rebounds in his return from a sprained rightmedial collateral ligament that caused him to miss 11 games. BrookLopez had 17 points, Grayson Allen 16 and Khris Middleton 12.

“It was funjust to be out there, fun just to play the game I love to play,”Portis said.

Jimmy Butlerscored 23, Bam Adebayo 18, Tyler Herro 14 and Caleb Martin 13 forthe Heat, who shot just 9 of 40 on 3-point attempts.

TIP-INS

Heat: KevinLove and Cody Zeller made their Heat debutsafter signing with Miami during theAll-Star break. Love, who had reached a buyoutwith theCleveland Cavaliers, was in the starting lineup but went scorelessin his first game appearance in a month. He did have eight reboundsand four assists in 22 minutes. Zeller was playing his first gameof the season and had 10 points in 16 minutes.

Bucks:Jae Crowder,acquired at the trade deadline, madehis 2022-23 debut and had nine points in 16 minutes. Crowder hadn’tplayed at all for Phoenix this season as the Suns attempted to dealhim. ...Meyers Leonard,who signed a 10-day contractthis week, had five points and six rebounds in 15 minutes whileplaying his first NBA game since January 2021. ... Pat Connaughton(left calf soreness) and Wesley Matthews (right calf strain) didn’tplay.

UPNEXT

Heat: AtCharlotte on Saturday. The Heat are 2-1 against the Hornets thisseason with the home team winning each of the three games.

Bucks: HostPhoenix on Sunday in the first matchup of the season between theteams. The Bucks and Suns will face off again March 14 inPhoenix.