The Greek star dropped a huge "make or break" statement after the Bucks' disappointing loss against the Wizards.
The Milwaukee Bucks still couldn't get over the hump, and Giannis Antetokounmpo appears unhappy about it.
The Bucks failed to secure an easy win on Wednesday. Facing a rebuilding Washington Wizards team, Milwaukee failed to capitalize and eventually endured a 114-113 loss in front of its home crowd.
In his postgame comments, Antetokounmpo hurled subtle jabs at his teammates about commitment to winning.
“Sometimes, it’s just hard when maybe some people are trying to do the right thing, and other people are not trying to do the plays. It might be discouraging at times,” he said, via The Athletic's Eric Nehm. “I’ve been a part of teams, the really good teams, that two, three, four guys try to do the right thing, and they do it, I think, and they pull everybody else. And I’ve been on teams that two, three guys try to do the right thing, and three, four guys not trying to do the right thing, and it pulls the team to the wrong direction.”
The Bucks led by three with over 33 seconds left in regulation, but chose to blow it up as CJ McCollum hit the game-winning mid-range jumper.
They also recorded 15 huge turnovers, which included four crucial errors at the start of the final frame that gave the Wizards a huge momentum.
Giannis, who finished with 33 points and 15 rebounds in 28 minutes, didn't receive much support from the secondary unit. The Wizards' bench outscored the Bucks' bench 52-23, which served as another significant factor in their New Year's Eve collapse.
The Bucks (14-20) are facing pressure time in convincing Antetokounmpo to stay, and what unfolded against the Wizards couldn't help their case. Following another home game against the Charlotte Hornets, they'll take a grinding four-game road trip in the West to face the Kings, Warriors, Lakers and the Nuggets.
“We’re 11th in the East,” Antetokounmpo said. “My whole career, when I’ve had winning seasons, like January to February before the break, you gotta stack up wins, and we have a tough schedule. I don’t think people understand this can make us or break us. And I don’t want to break. I want to be made.”
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