Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a big reason for the Milwaukee Bucks strong start to the 2022-23 season. But it looks like he'll be sidelined for a bit. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Antetokounmpo is officially out for Friday's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

This will be the second straight game that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss. He also sat out on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to his knee injury. He was initially listed as probable for the Thunder game but ended up being a scratch. This will be the third game overall that Antetokounmpo has missed this season. He also sat out on Saturday against the Thunder.

Antetokounmpo was in the lineup against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday but the Bucks ended up dropping their first game of the season. They had been a perfect 9-0 before that game.

Antetokounmpo has placed himself in the MVP race this season to the tune of 31.8 points per game, 12.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

Also joining Antetokounmpo on the injured list for Friday's game are Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton and Joe Ingles. The latter three have missed extensive time with Middleton and Ingles yet to make their season debut. The fact that the Bucks have been able to get off to such a strong start without key players is a testament to their cohesiveness.

With all of those players out on Wednesday, the Bucks managed to win behind a career night from Jevon Carter. He finished with 36 points on 50 percent shooting from three-point range and dished out 12 assists. The Bucks currently sit at 10-1 and with the best record in the NBA. They'll need more performances like that from Carter if the big 3 of Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton all miss significant time.