By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo felt good to play his first game since August Saturday (12/12) and he would’ve enjoyed it more if his left eye wasn’t injured early after an inadvertent elbow hit.
“If I didn’t get hurt in the eye two minutes into the game, I’d probably feel even better,” Antetokounmpo said after the game of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks in the NBA preseason opening day.”But it was good to be out there, have fun with my teammates, compete. Just play basketball.”
Despite getting hit on the eye, Antetokounmpo didn’t feel like spending his first playing opportunity in months at the side of the bench. “I knew I got hurt badly once the doctor checked my eye, I felt good. I wanted to go back out there and play. I don’t want to play just two minutes and sit the rest of it out.”
He proceeded to finish with game-highs 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 112-102 loss. “We practiced four times together. Obviously, we’re going to be rusty, obviously we have to built up our chemistry. We did some good things, some things we didn’t do so well. We got to go back, watch the tape, improve on practice and come back on Monday and hopefully be better.”
“But it’s good to be out there, it’s good to play with these guys and try to win games with these guys,” Giannis added.
While Antetokounmpo directs his attention to Monday’s rematch vs. the Mavs, Bucks fans and probably the whole NBA world is anticipating what will happen until December 21 when the deadline for the Greek Freak to sign an extension with the Bucks expires. Giannis has said that he’s not focusing at his contract situation right now but on how he and his teammates are going to be better for the upcoming season.