Milwaukee (AFP) – Mike Budenholzer entered NBA health protocols and Giannis Antetokounppo was not playing due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19, leaving the Milwaukee Bucks without their coach and star player on Wednesday.
Darvin Hamm’s assistant served as coach.
The antitoconmo averages 27.9 points and 11.5 rebounds. Bucks did not specify the nature of the disease that the NBA Finals player of the year suffered from.
Grayson Allen and George Hill, along with Pat Connaughton, also entered protocols on Wednesday.
Hamm said reserves Jordan Noora, Thanassis Antitokonmo and Simi Ogili, who were not available as part of the protocols, were allowed back into the squad.
“My job is to keep the bus running,” Hamm said. “These are unfortunate times and circumstances. I am not looking to make a fuss, nor to show the world that I can train. I already know that and feel very comfortable with my role here.”
Hamm recalled that he actually supplied Budenholzer in 2017 when they coached the Hawks together in Atlanta and Budenholzer had to stop one game due to contact with the referee.
Hamm played for some time with the Bucks and was an assistant in the NBA for 11 years. He says he learned of Budenholzer’s positive test after training on Tuesday.
“We have a built-in group. It would be nice to have Giannis, but he grapples with his own issues,” Hamm said. “We have a lot of leadership in the locker room. They will help me just as I will help them.”
The Bucks come off a 115-106 home loss to the Detroit Pistons, who had the worst record in the league coming into Monday night’s game, as the loss ended the Milwaukee’s six-game winning streak.
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