Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece, Milwaukee Bucks, Alperen Sengun, Turkey, Houston Rockets, EuroBasket
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Turkey's power forward #23 Alperen Sengun (L) and Greece's small forward #34 Giannis Antetokounmpo vie for the ball during the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 semi-final basketball match between Greece and Turkey in Riga, Latvia, on September 12, 2025.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets played a thrilling game Sunday that came down to the final minute. Respected All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun had a few tense exchanges while making strong plays against each other.
The drama began when Antetokounmpo got fired up after making a big offensive play. The Greek Freak made several impressive moves to get past Sengun and celebrated each one with enthusiasm. In one moment, Antetokounmpo looked directly at the camera and appeared to shout toward the home audience as Sengun lay on the floor. Another sequence saw Giannis drive past Sengun and dunk over Houston’s top defender, Amen Thompson.
Antetokounmpo’s theatrics and showboating were on full display as Milwaukee built a lead. However, Houston caught fire in the fourth quarter and stormed back to win. Sengun delivered the game-clinching moment when, up three, he got past Giannis for a three-point play that sealed the victory and gave him a flex pose for perfect revenge after being on the receiving end of Giannis’ earlier highlights.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Focused On Next Game
The postgame interview featured Antetokounmpo discussing the team’s upcoming matchup the following night against the Dallas Mavericks. Milwaukee had started the season strong, but a few recent losses have caused the Bucks to slip in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Giannis reflected on the unpredictability of the NBA after their loss to Houston but emphasized the importance of responding quickly via a back to back:
“This is why the NBA is great. Doesn’t matter if you win or lose, tomorrow you have another chance to redeem yourself. But tomorrow is a must win. We cannot lose two in a row.”
The use of the term “must win” this early in the season might seem exaggerated, but his reasoning makes sense. The Mavericks have struggled mightily since Anthony Davis’ injury, looking like one of the worst teams in the league. For the Bucks, blowing a lead against a strong opponent and then potentially losing to a struggling team would be a major setback.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future Still Top Subject
Even with a better start to the season than expected, Milwaukee is going to have to deal with the elephant in the room. Antetokounmpo is the biggest name that could realistically request a trade this season or during the offseason. Various comments have shown that Giannis still wants to play at the highest level and contend for an NBA Championship.
Most have viewed the hot start as a great thing for Milwaukee, but it also created higher expectations after many gave up on them during the offseason. Antetokounmpo’s post-game comments using the term “must win” and looking at seeding means his expectations are to make the playoffs and put up a fight in postseason series this season.
Things falling apart with a losing streak or more blown leads could see the Bucks back under fire via a trade demand. Giannis is used to playing for a top team and rarely had to deal with losses like tonight’s. Tomorrow’s game and many other this season going the wrong way could directly impact Antetokounmpo’s future decisions.