The Milwaukee Bucks welcomed Giannis Antetokounmpo back to the lineup on Friday night, but his return was not enough to halt the team’s skid. Milwaukee fell to the New York Knicks, 118-109, at Fiserv Forum, extending the club’s losing streak to seven games.
Antetokounmpo, sidelined the previous four contests with a groin strain, delivered 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in just 28 minutes. After the game, the two-time MVP emphasized that the only agenda that matters is winning.
“Nobody should have a personal agenda,” he told reporters. “Worry only about a winning mentality. The more we win, the more everything takes care of itself.”
Calls for Collective Effort
The forward urged his teammates to move past individual concerns and concentrate on team play. “You cannot let one or two missed shots, which take four seconds, dictate the rest of the game,” he said. “This is not a one-man show. We have to do it together—move the ball, find open threes, run, create spacing.”
Defensive Struggles Spotlighted
Milwaukee currently ranks 20th in opponents’ field-goal percentage, a statistic Antetokounmpo noted when discussing defensive lapses. “Do your job, defend, do the little things,” he added. “If you’re too concerned about scoring and it doesn’t work, you feel like you can’t do anything.”
Minute Restriction Expected to Ease
The Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back. Antetokounmpo said he plans to play and anticipates increased court time. “I know the protocol when you come back from my injury—there has to be a minutes restriction,” he explained. “Would I like to play more? Yes. Could I? I don’t know. But tomorrow I’ll play more minutes and try to help the team win.”
Milwaukee, now 0-7 during its recent slide, hopes an extended appearance from its star can help steer the season back on course.
Source: HoopsRumors
