Things haven't gone the Milwaukee Bucks' way after they opened the season with a dominant win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, the team has lost five in a row, including a crushing 114-113 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, punctuated by a ridiculous game-winning jumper from Cavs star Donovan Mitchell.
Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo chose to dwell on the positives, asserting he saw the team do many good things that allowed them to give the undefeated Cavs a run for their money.
Big-shot taker, big-shot maker
The Bucks couldn't have defended Mitchell any better on that fateful Cavs possession. Gary Trent Jr. was on the explosive guard like white on rice and even momentarily tipped the ball away. However, "Spida" recovered the loose ball, regained his composure, and drained the game-winning jumper with 0.3 of a second left.
As the popular saying goes, "It's a make-or-miss league," and on Saturday night, Donovan made it.
"(Mitchell) could miss the shot, and we'd have a different story. I couldn't control that shot. I can't control the play that he's gonna make, and he's gonna make a beautiful shot at the end. I can't control that," Giannis, who had an outstanding game of 34 points, 16 rebounds, and nine dimes, said.
Things may not look like it right now, but the "Greek Freak" is confident they're gradually turning things around. The devil is in the details, and Giannis said these things make him optimistic about their chances.
"As a leader of this team, I think we are headed towards the right direction. Now, that doesn't mean we're going to go to a five-game winning streak or 10-game winning streak, but I know that we are playing better, and we trust one another," the two-time MVP remarked.
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Must stay together
Giannis and his fellow All-Star Damian Lillard have been balling out of late. Against the Cavs, Lillard had 41 points, highlighted by ten triples. The shifty guard also handed nine assists. However, it wasn't enough to propel Milwaukee to the victory despite leading by as many as 16 points.
Antetokounmpo knows climbing out of the 1-5 hole they're in would take a lot of work, work they need to do collectively.
"We just gotta go out there and do it together, though," Antetokounmpo stressed. "I don't think one guy will do it. I don't think two guys will do it. I think within the whole team, everybody's gotta come together and do it."
"We gotta come all together. We gotta trust one another. We gotta put the ball and put the responsibilities to our teammates and make the game easier for them. They gotta get more easy looks. We gotta create for them. They gotta feel good about themselves," Giannis added.
While Giannis and Dame have been playing terrific basketball, the same can't be said for the Bucks' supporting cast. Bobby Portis is averaging only 11.0 points per game and shooting an abysmal 25 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Trent Jr., a player the team brought in to provide much-needed floor spacing, is making only 30 percent of his shots.
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