Bucks HC: Giannis 'would have felt pressure' to return from injury

Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the Milwaukee Bucks' final two games before the NBA's hiatus due to a minor joint capsule sprain in his left knee.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer says the stoppage in play has allowed the reigning MVP to recover properly rather than push for his return.

"Who's to say how things would have gone if we kept on playing? I'm not sure it would be safe to say (Giannis) would have missed a couple of weeks," Budenholzer told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. "Could it have been less? Maybe. Could it have been more? Perhaps. We can look back a bit and say, 'Wow, I wonder what would have happened there.'

"But the great thing is he's healthy now. Giannis is so tough, and he heals so quickly, and he would have felt pressure to come back sooner. (The pressure) wouldn't have come from us - it's all self-induced with Giannis. One of our hardest jobs would have been to hold him back."

Antetokounmpo could very well capture his second straight MVP award. The four-time All-Star is averaging career highs in scoring (29.6 points per game) and rebounds (13.7) in just under 31 minutes per contest.

Milwaukee entered the hiatus with an Association-leading 53-12 mark and sits 6 1/2 games up on the Toronto Raptors for the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.