Giannis Antetokounmpo did not hold back after the Milwaukee Bucks dropped their seventh straight game, a 118 to 109 loss to the New York Knicks. Returning from a groin injury that sidelined him for four games, the two-time MVP put up 30 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists, but his focus after the game was squarely on his teammates’ mindset, not the box score.
“Nobody should have a personal agenda,” Antetokounmpo said speaking to reporters. “Nobody should worry about what they want from themselves. Worry only about winning mentality. Winning mindset. The more we can win the games, the more everything takes care of itself,” he said.
The Bucks have not lost seven consecutive games since March of 2014, Giannis’s rookie season, and now sit 11th in the Eastern Conference at 8-12. With both Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. missing recent time, he acknowledged the temptation for players to try to do too much, but insisted it is hurting the team’s culture.
“Can I make an excuse that we’ve played a lot of games and guys are tired and it’s a huge load on people? Yeah,” Antetokounmpo said. “Can I also make an excuse that’s human nature when Kevin Porter Jr. goes down and myself goes down, it’s human nature to think that you got to carry a load. … Maybe it’s a scoring load, maybe you got to make plays, maybe you think it is your opportunity to get more shots. … But that’s not how you win games. That’s not how you build culture.”
Antetokounmpo also warned that players letting missed shots affect their overall effort has become a problem.
“You cannot worry about one shot or two shots that you miss, which took four seconds out of the game to dictate 47 minutes, 56 seconds of the game,” he said.
He emphasized that Milwaukee must return to its identity: moving the ball, defending, and playing fast.
READ MORE: Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green Torch Warriors’ Mindset