Despite losing skid, Bucks have ‘belief’ in what they have and what they can do

MILWAUKEE — Greater than an hour after the Milwaukee Bucks misplaced their fourth straight sport, a dispiriting 122-109 defeat to the New York Knicks on Sunday through which they had been outscored 72-48 within the second half, Giannis Antetokounmpo sat alone at his locker in a quiet, near-empty locker room in Fiserv Discussion board considering the Bucks’ slide.

Most nights, Antetokounmpo tends to be one of many final gamers out of the locker room as Pat Connaughton will probably be preparing a couple of lockers away or Giannis’ brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, will probably be chatting with him in Greek. On Sunday, Giannis and Thanasis had been the final two gamers out. There was little dialog between them.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo finally spoke with the media, he addressed the Bucks’ spirit amid their struggles. Whereas answering a query about his group being unable to seek out and play with pleasure of their latest play, he discovered himself asking, and performing out, a collection of rhetorical questions.

“When was the final time Malik did…” Antetokounmpo requested earlier than performing out teammate Malik Beasley’s trademark 3-point shimmy celebration.

“When was the final time Pat hit a 3 and did…” Antetokounmpo requested earlier than signaling a 3 and wiping it throughout his chest as Connaughton does after hitting an enormous shot from deep.

“When was the final time Jae hit a 3, went again and he swags again like…” Antetokounmpo requested as he pretended to backpedal down the ground like Jae Crowder.

“When was the final time I dunked on someone and went ‘Ahhhhhh!,’” Antetokounmpo requested as he pretended to yell at an imaginary, sold-out dwelling crowd after an enormous dunk.

“It’s virtually like we’re going by means of the motions,” Antetokounmpo stated. “We gotta discover our pleasure again.”

Pleasure has been troublesome for the Bucks to return by not too long ago, as they’ve misplaced six of their final seven video games and discover themselves of their longest shedding streak of this season. The Bucks (47-31) are nonetheless second within the Japanese Convention standings, as a variety of the opposite groups in the course of the East playoff image have struggled as effectively. However the Knicks and Orlando Magic are a single sport behind Milwaukee.

As they strategy the common season’s ultimate week, the Bucks are taking part in a few of their worst basketball, however they haven’t stopped making an attempt to proper the ship earlier than the postseason and dealing towards their finish aim of an NBA championship.

On Saturday, based on sources briefed on the assembly, Bucks coach Doc Rivers held a movie session with the group’s high 9 veteran rotation gamers in Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Beasley, Bobby Portis, Patrick Beverley, Connaughton and Crowder. Throughout that session, every participant was given an opportunity to talk his thoughts and clarify what they’ve been seeing from their very own perspective, in addition to how they imagine the group must function selflessly as a unit shifting ahead.

“It’s solely the beginning of those powerful and vital conversations,” one supply described the session.

Towards the Knicks on Sunday, although, the Bucks had been unable to place that dialog towards a win. The sport began off effectively because the Bucks constructed a double-digit lead within the first half, however issues shortly deteriorated.

With 6:12 left within the second quarter, Middleton left the sport after receiving a tough shot to the face from Donte DiVincenzo following a miss on the rim by the Knicks guard. Whereas not intentional, as he was touchdown, DiVincenzo’s fist appeared to strike Middleton’s face. Middleton instantly began to bleed from his mouth as he sat on the ground underneath the Knicks basket.

“Khris was nice to start to the sport; he was completely incredible,” Rivers stated after the sport. “You simply really feel unhealthy for him. The man can’t catch a break. I imply, what are the percentages you go right into a sport, ‘OK, tonight, it will likely be my tooth will get knocked out.’

“He’s having a kind of seasons proper now, however that’s OK as a result of it may all flip for him. I assumed he got here with nice spirit tonight, too, so simply powerful luck.“

Middleton didn’t return, leaving the world instantly after exiting the sport for an emergency journey to a dentist, based on Rivers.

Shedding Middleton was unlucky, as Sunday was the primary time the Bucks had their large three of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Middleton on the ground collectively to begin a sport in additional than per week and simply the eighth time they began a sport collectively underneath Rivers this season. In actuality, it’s nearer to simply six video games, as Middleton has left two of these video games early — with a left ankle sprain vs. the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 6 and Sunday evening in opposition to the Knicks — as a consequence of damage.

If the Bucks are going to discover a approach to make a deep playoff run, they may want a wholesome roster, however additionally they must construct higher chemistry between their three greatest offensive gamers.

“We began getting a two-man factor working and dealing and dealing, however it was simply me and Giannis on the market,” Lillard stated of the Bucks’ offensive move underneath Rivers. “We gotta have the ability to have issues working when it’s me, Khris and Giannis on the market, and that’s all a part of a course of.

“You’ll be able to’t simply put it on the market and say, ‘Do it,’ and it simply flows easy. We acquired a brand new coach coming in and there’s issues that he needs to be accomplished and he needs it to be accomplished a sure manner.”