Giannis Antetokounmpo kept it real after the Bucks were routed 139-106 by the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
“They started the game eight of 12 from three, 38 points in the first quarter…they give us no life. Even when they miss, they got rebounds,” remarked the Bucks superstar.
“Effort was low for sure. There’s going to be nights like that in the NBA, I’ve been part in not many but I understand there’s going to be times you might come out flat and a team comes out with a lot of energy.”
Antetokounmpo openly admitted his disappointment with his performance and the team’s execution, saying he didn’t attack aggressively enough, struggled defensively, and fell short in effort and focus.
“I wasn’t more aggressive. I wasn’t defensively more aware…Maybe I wasn’t as focused as I should,” he continued.
Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts to boos in the Bucks loss to the Timberwolves
The Bucks superstar forward reflected on being booed at home after the loss. “I was definitely booing back. When I get booed, I boo back. I’ve been doing that all season. You guys haven’t been with me on the road. Whenever I get booed, I boo back.”
The Bucks struggled in Turner’s absence, facing a Timberwolves squad missing Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, yet Minnesota still shot 60 percent from the field and made 22 of 43 three-pointers. Julius Randle led the team with 29 points, while Bones Hyland contributed 23 off the bench.
The defeat dropped the Bucks to 17-23, giving up their most points of the season, while the Timberwolves improved to 27-14.
Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a game that highlighted Milwaukee’s defensive breakdowns and inconsistent effort.
The Bucks star ended by urging the team to make swift improvements.
“It’s either now or never. Hopefully in the next couple of games, we can turn things around,”
