Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their road tripwith a 115-98 victory over Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kingson Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Bucks’ Antetokounmpo speaks up after nearly wasting big lead against Kings
The Bucks built a lead as big as 26 points, but they seemingly became too complacent in the second half, allowing Sacramento to make a huge run during a frenetic Kings comeback bid.
“We should not be in that position. We were up 25, 27 points. We should not let them come back to 3 [point deficit]. Like we have to do a better job of just putting the game away,” the two-time NBA MVP told reporters after the game (h/tBucks Lead).
“That’s why I’m saying that we gotta watch film tomorrow. We gotta improve and see what we did. Did we do it to ourselves? What did they do? What can we do better?”
Antetokounmpo still pointed out some of the positives that happened in the game for the Bucks.
“But I’m happy we were able to keep our composure. As I said, [Kevin Porter Jr.] was able to get to his spot, get to the paint, make the right plays. I was able to do the same. Most importantly as a team we got stops, we got rebounds, we were able to execute better and get the game.”
For Antetokounmpo, the narrow victory over Sacramento is a reminder for the Bucks to always stay on their toes.
“But again, we should not put ourselves in that position. That’s growth. We gotta grow. Not trying to disrespect the Kings— they beat us the first game. I think they are an incredible team. They always play hard, they have incredible vets. If it was a playoff game, we probably lose the game.”
The Bucks had a 24-point lead in the third quarter chopped down to just five points after Sacramento had a blistering 29-8 run. Milwaukee managed to extinguish the fire, though, with an 18-5 run on its way to its 16th win of the season.
Antetokounmpo led all scorers in the contest with 37 points, while Kevin Porter Jr. added 25 points.
Dec 31, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee forward Antetokounmpo (34) during warmups prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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