MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t want to talk about the latest record the Milwaukee Bucks star added to his collection Thursday night.
The two-time MVP instead was focused on figuring how the Bucks could stop their recent pattern of making things tough on themselves early in games.
Two nights after erasing a 19-point deficit to win 120-112 at Indiana, the Bucks fell behind by 24 points before nearly coming all the way back in a 113-110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
“When you go down 20, that’s when the clock starts for us,” Antetokounmpo said. “We put ourselves in a hole and just dig our way out of the hole. It takes too much out of everybody.”
Antetokounmpo scored 27 points while shooting 12 of 24, but he missed a driving layup attempt that would have put Milwaukee ahead with just over six seconds left.
He still made NBA history by scoring 20-plus points and shooting at least 50% from the floor for a 26th consecutive game. Antetokounmpo had shared the record for consecutive games scoring at least 20 points and shooting at least 50% with Shaquille O’Neal and Zion Williamson.
O’Neal’s streak spanned from January to March of 2001, while Williamson did it from February to April in 2021. Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points and has shot at least 50% in every game he’s played this season.
“I didn’t even know that,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just want to win. I play to win. This is my motto all year long. I want to win. I don’t care about nothing else. I just try to build in my mind that all that matters is winning.”
Antetokounmpo’s drive has helped Milwaukee bounce back from a 2-8 start to move above .500 and into playoff position, but the Bucks have taken a step back since winning the NBA Cup last month. They’ve gone 3-4 since and have dropped three of their last four games.
The Bucks’ struggles occurred in part because Antetokounmpo missed four straight games – two with back spasms and two more with an illness. Milwaukee’s slow start against Indiana was understandable because it was Antetokounmpo’s first game back, and he needed some time to work his way into his usual form.
“You get very easily out of breath, especially when you’re playing a team like Indiana that’s going to attack in the first eight seconds,” Antetokounmpo said. “It takes time for you to get in rhythm.”
The slow start at home Thursday was tougher to explain. Even more puzzling has been Milwaukee’s season-long struggles against the Nets, who snapped a three-game skid.
Although the Nets are just 13-21 this season, they’re 3-1 against the Bucks. The last time the Nets beat the Bucks as many as three times within the same regular season was 2013-14.
“At the end of the day, in a game like this, it’s about individual pride,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s about who’s going to compete. Who’s going to play harder? I think three out of the four times, they’ve played harder than us.”
Milwaukee’s tenacity down the stretch these last two games has been commendable. The Bucks trailed 111-90 with less than seven minutes remaining Thursday, but they didn’t allow another basket the rest of the game and had the ball with a chance to take the lead.
But they still fell short because of another slow start. They realize they can’t afford to lose to these types of teams as they try to improve their playoff positioning.
“Let’s not over-complicate the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “We did not play well. They played harder than us in three out of the four games. We did not play smart. And we’ve just got to go back, watch the film and be better. That’s pretty much it.”
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