Led by 35 points, 13 rebounds and lockdown defense from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks beat Toronto 130-112 to win their sixth in seven games, a stretch bookended by comfortable wins against the Raptors.
Damian Lillard added 26 points and 8 assists, while Khris Middleton had 13 and 5 on just six field goal attempts in 24 minutes. On defense, Giannis held his counterpart, Raptors point-forward Scottie Barnes, to 10 points on 4-16 shooting. Barnes also found himself in foul trouble and finished with five personals.
Speaking to Giannis postgame, a reporter noted how Barnes, at that point just 1 of 11 from the field, appeared “frustrated in the first half,” and asked the Greek Freak whether he actively tries to mess with opponents’ head space.
“No, not necessarily,” Giannis answered, “I’m not thinking about if they’re having a good game, or if they’re one for eleven. I’m just trying to take the challenge, you know. I’ve had a couple [lately].”
With some help from reporters, he then recalled the players he has had to defend over the past few weeks. If he couldn’t quite name them all off the bat, no one could blame him–the list is exhausting just to think about.
Giannis and the Bucks Have Put in the Work and It’s Paying Off
“My knees hurt,” Giannis laughed. “Every game, damn. Gotta take a break once in a while.”
He isn’t wrong. You could form an All-Star team from the beasts he has battled in recent memory, starting Friday with Barnes and going back, in reverse chronology, as follows: Paolo Banchero, Karl Anthony-Towns, Banchero again, Victor Wembanyama, Barnes again, and Pascal Siakam.
After naming Barnes and Banchero, Giannis hit a momentary roadblock. “Who was the previous game, I don’t remember?”
Sabonis, someone offered, referencing Sacramento’s own lesser Nikola Jokic –a center who fills up every column in the box score and whose range extends from the rim to beyond the arc.
At that suggestion, Giannis shook his head wearily and laughed. “No….definitely not guarding Sabonis. That’s Brook over there,” he quipped, gesturing toward a different locker.
Although Lopez handled most of the defensive duties against the Kings center, Antetokounmpo did find himself stuck guarding Sabonis here and there during Milwaukee’s 130-115 victory on Tuesday.
His responsibilities in the other games, however, have supplied an ample challenge. The Bucks catch a break Sunday against Philadelphia (15-24) with Joel Embiid sidelined for at least the next several games, but Antetokounmpo will most likely match up with the 6’8” Paul George. While it doesn’t get any easier, fans can rest assured that after a day’s recovery, Giannis will be ready to lock him up.
Milwaukee Can Still Be Better, As Seen in Stretches Vs Raptors, But the Team is Growing as a Group
Friday versus the Raptors was another game in which Milwaukee came hot out of the gate, establishing a 37-22 first quarter lead. But Giannis was not wholly satisfied with the team’s performance, noting that at times the Bucks were “a little bit sloppy.”
“I felt like it took us a while to take care of business,” he said, and referenced how Toronto kept pace in the third quarter, losing the period by only a point, to prevent the Bucks from putting the game to bed early.
In fact, after the first quarter the Raptors didn’t give up much ground, starting the final period 6-0 to keep the pressure on Milwaukee. Giannis stayed in the game until the Bucks led 128-110 with 1:05 left.
On the whole, however, it was another solid performance for the home squad. Asked about how “proud” he is of the Bucks’ ability to manage and push themselves as a unit, Antetokounmpo expressed great confidence in his teammates.
“It’s incredible. I feel like everybody on our team could read the momentum. Like, ‘Hey, we got to be sharper, we got to take it more serious. Stop playing with the game, put them away.”’
That the Bucks did, and at 23-17 they will look to book another W hosting the 76ers this weekend.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on X at @ezsniper14 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers. Go Pack Go. On Wisconsin. Fear The Deer. This Is My Crew.
