Giannis Calls Upcoming Bucks Schedule a “Make-or-Break” Test
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The Milwaukee Bucks enter 2026 on the fringe of the Eastern Conference play-in race, and Giannis Antetokounmpo believes the next few weeks will determine whether their season survives. After Wednesday’s 113-112 home loss to the Washington Wizards, the two-time MVP said the team “has to stack up wins” before the All-Star break, labeling the looming stretch as something that can “make us or break us.”
Milwaukee held a three-point lead with 33.2 seconds left, but CJ McCollum scored twice in the closing moments and Antetokounmpo’s last-second attempt hit the back rim. The defeat dropped the Bucks to 14-20 and 11th place in the East.
Head coach Doc Rivers criticized the effort, noting his players “didn’t pass the ball to each other” and “didn’t guard the ball.” He added, “The basketball gods sometimes don’t allow you to win when you don’t play right.”
Antetokounmpo, still on a minutes restriction after missing eight games with a strained right calf, finished with 33 points and 15 rebounds in 28 minutes. While admitting his conditioning is not yet ideal, he suggested not everyone on the roster shares the same focus on winning. “Sometimes it’s hard when maybe some people are trying to do the right thing and other people are not,” he said.
The Bucks trail Atlanta by 1.5 games for the final play-in spot and are 2.5 games behind Chicago. Their January schedule intensifies after hosting Charlotte on Friday; Milwaukee then heads West for four games against the Kings, Warriors, Lakers and Nuggets. Eight of the club’s 13 games this month are on the road, all leading up to the February 5 trade deadline.
Source: Hoops Rumors
