Milwaukee Bucks' forward Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a left groin strain during their 118-106 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He left late in the second quarter and did not return, ending with 14
points, five rebounds, and four assists. The Bucks have not provided a timeline for his return, as further tests are scheduled for Tuesday. "We won't know anything until tomorrow. It didn't look great, I can tell you that," Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers stated post-game.
Rivers mentioned that Antetokounmpo might have injured himself earlier but attempted to continue playing. At the time of his exit, the Bucks were trailing by one point but struggled without him in the second half. Donovan Mitchell spearheaded Cleveland's efforts with 37 points and seven assists, while Sam Merrill contributed significantly by hitting six 3-pointers to score 20 points.
Jalen Duren made a strong comeback from injury, scoring 31 points and grabbing 15 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 127-112. This victory extended their winning streak to ten games. Duren had missed two previous games due to a sprained right ankle but returned with impressive form, shooting 12 for 13 from the field. The Pistons dominated inside, outscoring the Pacers in the paint 66-48.
Daniss Jenkins stepped up with 26 points and eight assists while filling in for Cade Cunningham, who has been absent for three games during this streak. Javonte Green added a valuable 20 points off the bench for Detroit. Meanwhile, the Pacers suffered their eighth consecutive loss and sixth straight by at least 15 points, falling to a record of 1-13 just months after competing in the NBA Finals.
The Chicago Bulls managed to halt their five-game losing streak by narrowly defeating the Denver Nuggets 130-127. Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter each hit crucial three-pointers late in the game to secure victory. Chicago led by as many as 18 points in the first half but saw their lead diminish before finally overcoming another triple-double performance from Nikola Jokić.
Jokić delivered an impressive performance with 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists but shot only 13 of 27 from the field—his second game this season shooting below 50 percent. Jamal Murray contributed significantly for Denver with 34 points and 11 rebounds. Cameron Johnson scored a season-high of 19 points on efficient shooting from beyond the arc.
The Bulls' bench played a pivotal role by outscoring Denver's reserves significantly, contributing to Chicago's ability to withstand Denver's late surge. Josh Giddey added depth with his performance of 21 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists for Chicago.
