Giannis Antetokounmpo will sit for a second straight game Saturday as his Milwaukee Bucks host the Orlando Magic.
The NBA’s reigning MVP missed Friday’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks due to back soreness. He will now have an additional two days of rest before the team’s next game on Monday at the Chicago Bulls.
“His back is something I guess would be in that category of something we manage and keep our eyes on, and sometimes it flares up,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before Friday’s game. “Today it’s enough that he can’t play. But you’re hopeful that it’s not anything significant, even though it is something that we kind of monitor on a regular basis.”
Ersan Ilyasova started Friday in Antetokounmpo’s place, recording 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, 17 rebounds and a game-high plus-37 in the 112-86 win.
Milwaukee is 2-0 this season without its franchise player. Antetokounmpo entered Saturday as the NBA’s second-leading scorer with 30.5 points per game to go with 12.9 rebounds per game.