MILWAUKEE — Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged Tuesday’s 121-111 victory over the New York Knicks carried some additional significance, however solely as a result of the Knicks swept the Bucks in final season’s sequence.
Certainly, New York went 3-0 towards Milwaukee in 2024-25, profitable these video games by a mean margin of twenty-two factors, which was on Antetokounmpo’s thoughts coming into this recreation.
“They had been approach higher than us final yr, and we didn’t make it powerful for them,” Antetokounmpo stated after scoring 37 factors, grabbing 8 rebounds and dispensing 7 assists. “It was very straightforward for my part. And because the chief of this crew, I bear in mind. I don’t overlook issues. And I attempt to, from early at shootaround, set the tone for the crew and attempt to remind them, final yr, they swept us.”
Milwaukee’s struggles prolonged to every of the highest groups within the Jap Convention a season in the past, going 0-9 towards the highest three seeds within the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics and the Knicks.
However the Bucks set a special tone on Tuesday, rallying from down 14 factors within the first half for a comeback victory.
Antetokounmpo led the cost with an enormous third quarter, throughout which he scored 14 factors and dished out 4 assists because the Bucks outscored the Knicks 35-20. After one sequence halfway by means of the third, Antetokounmpo blocked a layup try from Mikal Bridges then flushed a dunk on the opposite finish of the ground. As Antetokounmpo walked up the court docket, he pointed to himself and motioned to the gang.
“That is my metropolis. I like when it’s powerful,” Antetokounmpo recalled saying. “I thrive when it’s powerful. While you make it powerful, I thrive.”
Antetokounmpo, who grew to become the primary participant in league historical past with not less than 30 factors on 60% capturing or higher in every of his first 4 video games of a season, would add he didn’t have any deeper which means past the message and that it was simply within the warmth of the second.
Antetokounmpo has been related to the Knicks after a report over the summer season from ESPN’s Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo thought of New York the lone vacation spot he would have wished to play outdoors of Milwaukee. The 2 sides engaged in short commerce conversations that by no means gained traction.
But Antetokounmpo didn’t wish to get into offseason hypothesis a lot on Tuesday, saying his focus was on basketball and the Bucks’ subsequent recreation towards the visiting Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
“What issues proper now could be we now have a recreation in two days towards Golden State,” he stated. “Attempt to keep locked in and get two in a row.”
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