The Milwaukee Bucks came into their game against the Cavaliers painfully shorthanded at point guard. Kevin Porter Jr. sat out with a sprained ankle. Cole Anthony was ruled out with an illness. On top of that, the Bucks were also down a secondary playmaker in Kyle Kuzma, who sprained his own left ankle versus the Raptors.
Nonetheless, they battled all game, coming back from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to keep it close all the way to the end. Ultimately the Cavs held on for a 118-113 win, handing the Bucks their first loss of the season. For his part, Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t want to hear any injury-related excuses.
While impressed with his team’s short-handed effort, he also issued a clear challenge ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Knicks, setting a standard this team must live up to or fall short of what he believes they can be.
Giannis’ measuring stick leaves little room for disappointment
Yet again, Giannis dominated the floor: 40 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists plus two blocks and steals apiece. In each of Milwaukee’s three games this season, he has recorded a 30-point double-double featuring five-plus assists.
Oct 26, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Sunday in Cleveland, the Bucks just couldn’t come up with enough help around him. Although it would be easy to blame the injuries, the Cavaliers were missing key pieces of their own in starting point guard Darius Garland and wing Max Strus. No excuses.
“Maybe last year we could say, ‘Oh, Kuz, Scoot, Cole not playing and maybe if they were playing we would have…’ Nah, we’re done with that,” Giannis said postgame via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It doesn’t matter. Good teams don’t lose two in a row. Gotta go back home, we play against the Knicks and hopefully we can get a win.”
Challenge received. The Bucks struggled mightily against the elite of the East last season – the Cavs, the Knicks, the Celtics. This season, Milwaukee must re-write that script.
Even with the East more open this year, Cleveland and New York remain the favorites atop the conference. Playing them back-to-back is no easy task. Giannis doesn’t care. He doesn’t care that Porter, the most important of the sidelined trio as Milwaukee’s next-best offensive engine, is also the most likely to miss the game. Or that without Kuzma, the Bucks’ main counter to New York’s oversized wings, they could struggle defensively. All three injured Bucks are currently listed as game time decisions. As far as winning goes, Giannis doesn’t care about any of that. Good teams don’t lose two in a row.
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Giannis is extremely competitive and doesn’t cop to excuses often, if ever. Bucks fans know that. But for a Milwaukee team under immense pressure to prove they are legit contenders, whether or not they can meet Giannis’ standard is a somewhat uncomfortable question. Hopefully, they get it done.
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