After missing out on one game due to a tendinopathy in his left shoulder, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action this Tuesday and dominated the court. The Bucks star ended the night with his third consecutive triple-double to lead his team’s rally to beat the Timberwolves 110-103.
The two-time MVP posted 23 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and overcame a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Minnesota. This meant Milwaukee’s fifth straight victory, while snapping their rival’s five-game winning streak.
After sitting out a 111-107 victory against New Orleans this weekend, the Greek international had been listed as probable in the injury report. With Tuesday’s performance, he continues his hot streak after posting 35 points, a career-high 20 assists and 17 rebounds in a 126-113 win at Philadelphia.
The match also marked Bobby Portis’ return from a 25-game suspension, as he had been sidelined by the league after testing positive for the painkiller tramadol. The Bucks forward recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds in his first game back to action.
“He was doing the work, but his spirit wasn’t Bobby,” Doc Rivers said. “And I don’t know when that turned, but it definitely turned. I thought the workouts really helped him. As crazy as it sounds, card games on the plane helped him. Maybe he was winning.
The Milwaukee head coach then added: “Maybe the guys were letting him win, who knows? But I thought all that stuff helped him. It takes a family sometimes to get through stuff, and I thought our guys really, really embraced him.”
Portis simply wants to make up for all the time he missed. “My only goal is to get to June,” the forward said after contributing to the Bucks’ rally from a 24-point deficit on Tuesday evening. “How can we get to June? We haven’t been there in so long.”
