Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for the next week due to a left calf injury, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Sunday.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers confirmed that Antetokounmpo will not play in next weekend’s All-Star Game.
Antetokounmpo already had been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and sources said he will also miss matchups with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the All-Star break, marking at least six straight games out.
“We’ve just been monitoring it, and it just hasn’t improved enough for us to play him,” Rivers said. “If this was a playoff game, would he play? Probably yes. But this is not. And we want to make sure he’s playing in the playoffs.”
Antetokounmpo, who has been out since Feb. 2, is expected to return to action shortly after the All-Star break, sources said. Milwaukee’s first game after the break is Feb. 20 against the Clippers.
“We’re really hoping that when we come out of the break, we have our team,” Rivers said. “That’s the hope.”
Commissioner Adam Silver would choose Antetokounmpo’s replacement for the All-Star Game. Antetokounmpo was to play on Team Chuck, the eight-man squad drafted last week by TNT analyst Charles Barkley for the All Star Game’s new four-team format.
Antetokounmpo missed one game over the past week with a right knee issue before being ruled out the last three games with the left calf injury. He has missed nine games so far this season, with Milwaukee going 4-5 in his absence.
The Bucks have dropped six of their last eight games overall to fall into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Antetokounmpo, who was selected to his ninth straight All-Star Game after leading the fan vote, is averaging 31.8 points per game (second in the NBA behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) on 60.8% shooting and 12.2 rebounds.
He missed Milwaukee’s first-round loss in last season’s playoffs to the Indiana Pacers with a left calf strain.
Sixers center Joel Embiid played Sunday against the Bucks after being listed as questionable for left knee injury management
The Associated Press contributed to this report.