Giannis Antetokounmpo frustrated with Bucks' defense: 'There was no pride' / News - Basketnews.com

Giannis Antetokounmpo's monster game wasn't enough for the Milwaukee Bucks to fend off the Houston Rockets. The 'Greek Freak' wasn't happy with his team's defensive effort.

Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

The Houston Rockets (18-16) fended off the visiting Milwaukee Bucks (25-11) 112-108 on Saturday, as Alperen Sengun paired 21 points with 11 rebounds while Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and 12 boards.

Player of the Game EFF 21 Jabari Smith Points 14 Accuracy 3-7 Rebounds 12 Assists 2

After Milwaukee shaved what was once a 21-point deficit to 105-99 on a pair of Giannis Antetokounmpo free throws with 1:50 left, Sengun fed Smith for a corner 3-pointer 18 seconds later that helped the Rockets secure the victory.

Antetokounmpo was exceptional, finishing with 48 points and 17 rebounds. But Damian Lillard (18 points, nine assists) and Khris Middleton (10 points, five assists) combined to shoot just 8 for 25 — including 1 for 13 on 3-pointers — as the Bucks lost for the third time in four games.

Trailing by 20 at the intermission, Milwaukee found a rhythm early in the third quarter, using a 10-3 burst to claw back into contention while the Rockets committed four fouls by the 9:43 mark. Yet, despite a Herculean effort from Antetokounmpo, who scored half of the Bucks’ 30 third-quarter points, Milwaukee could not shave the deficit to single digits.

In the Bucks locker room after the game, Giannis, having tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (18) for the most 45+ point games in Bucks history, harped on his team's effort defensively. It was an impassioned post-game session from Antetokounmpo, who had a lot to say on the matter.

"Offense is gonna be there some nights, and some nights, it's not going to be there," he started.

"Your defensive effort, though, has got to be there. And defensively, our effort wasn't there. There was no pride," the Greek star pointed out.

"Guys were just driving the ball, straight line l drive, getting to the paint, overhelping, shooting 3s, and offensive rebounds. There was nothing. This wasn't the Milwaukee Bucks. This is not who we are."

Giannis went on to say that the Bucks tried to flip the script in the second half, where they improved.

"In the 3rd and 4th quarter, we were better," he said.

"We won both quarters. We went out there and competed. We made it harder, pre-switched, fronted the paint, put our hands on the ball, made it tough for them, and got every rebound that we could. That's who we are.

In the first half, we didn't do that. And it's no good, man. Cause right now, we're playing a type of basketball, especially defensively, that's not us. We have to be better. We cannot just rely on our offense scoring 130-140 points every single night...It's not going to work that way."

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