The Milwaukee Bucks’ season has hit a troubling stretch, and Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t sugarcoating what he believes is going wrong.
After a 122–102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team missing several rotation players, Antetokounmpo pointed directly to chemistry issues and selfish play as the biggest reasons behind Milwaukee’s recent run of blowout defeats.
The Bucks have now lost four of their last five games, with each of their past three losses coming by at least 18 points.
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “We aren’t doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
“At times, I feel like when we’re down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it’s not going to work.”
Giannis also addressed his own role in the struggles, noting that he has taken 13 or fewer shots in each of his last four games. Still, he explained that demanding the ball is not his natural approach.
“I’m not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve never done that in my career. But I feel like I’ve played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team, in how I can create for teammates and for myself, and how I can help the team be more successful.”
The loss dropped Milwaukee to 18 wins and 25 losses, leaving them sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference and in real danger of snapping a streak of nine straight playoff appearances. The Bucks have yet to win more than two games in a row this season.
Complicating matters further is the loss of Kevin Porter Jr., who ranks second on the team in scoring and leads Milwaukee in assists.
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