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Thanasis Antetokounmpo stunned his younger brother Giannis in pre-season, but his statistics for the Milwaukee Bucks suggest a different return to action.
The Bucks continued their promising start to pre-season with another victory, beating the Detroit Pistons 117-111.
After a 103-93 win over the Miami Heat in their first warm-up game, Milwaukee currently boasts a perfect record in their pre-season games, giving fans hope for a strong season.
For Bucks supporters, the return of Antetokounmpo was a major relief.
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The 33-year-old who the whole of last season recovering from an ACL injury, leaving the team without the forward.
In his brief pre-season appearances, he played five minutes against the Heat and limited to six minutes against the Pistons. While the game time was limited, Thanasis still managed to make an impact.
His highlight so far came in the Pistons game, when he made a huge dunk that drew huge cheers from the fans.
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It also delighted Giannis, who was watching along from the side-line.
The moment served as a reminder that Thanasis retains much of his athleticism, but he is yet to fully work his way back into Doc Rivers' plans.
Judging off his minutes so far, it appears that Rivers is being careful to manage Antetokounmpo's game time.
He originally signed with the Bucks back in 2019, contributing to the team's NBA Finals success in 2021, where Giannis was named as the NBA Finals MVP.
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However, in May 2024, Thanasis was forced to undergo surgery on his torn Achilles.
After missing the whole of last season, he re-signed with the Bucks in August on a one-year deal, signalling his intention to be part of a championship-challenging roster.
Many expected his brother Giannis to leave the Bucks during the off-season, but he ultimately decided to stay in Milwaukee.
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Although he has made it clear that he expects to compete for the championship this year.
The idea of star players like Giannis threatening to leave to compete for titles every season attracted criticism from commentators, including Charles Buckley.
He said: "These guys, they feel like they're entitled to play for the championship every year. ... Everybody wants to win a championship, but the Bucks have done everything they possibly could."
The Bucks still have two pre-season games in pre-season, taking on the Chicago Bulls and then Oklahoma City Thunder.
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After that, the regular season starts in less than two weeks, when they host the Washington Wizards.
Topics: NBA, Basketball
James Taylor