Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to action for the Bucks with 29 points against the Pistons.
The Bucks took one step closer to full strength Monday, when stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton returned to the lineup in a rout of the Pistons.
Milwaukee beat Detroit, 150-130, with Antetokounmpo dropping a 29-point, 12-rebound double-double and Middleton adding eight points and four assists in 15 minutes off the bench.
Giannis back in the starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/3v1suWIxOQ
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 23, 2023
What up, Khris?
🎥 @SociosUSA pic.twitter.com/A9RZA0zDKV
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 23, 2023
Middleton has missed 18 games while dealing with a sore knee and hasn’t played since Dec. 15. The former All-Star had also missed the Bucks’ first 20 games of the season with a wrist injury.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has been out since Jan. 11, missing five games while dealing with a lingering knee issue.
“They’ve been together longer than any of us on this current roster or staff, “said coach Mike Budenholzer, who is in his fifth season with the franchise. “They’re the ones that have built this program to what it is. They play at an amazingly high level.
“There’s a connection, and their skill sets go well together when they’re at their best. We have a really good roster and team that needs those two guys, and we are our best with them.”
