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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return to the court docket fittingly got here in New York.
One month after feigning ignorance following a victory over the Knicks in Milwaukee about probably forcing a blockbuster commerce to New York over the summer season, the two-time NBA MVP rejoined the Bucks’ lineup Friday evening and registered 30 factors, 15 rebounds and eight assists in simply 28 minutes in a 118-109 NBA Cup elimination loss on the Backyard.
The Bucks had hoisted the in-season trophy one yr in the past with their star participant named event MVP, however Antetokounmpo had missed their earlier 4 video games — all losses in what’s now a seven-game skid general — with a thigh harm.
“Clearly, you wish to win video games, you wish to win tournaments. We had the chance to go to Vegas twice in a row. Not going to Vegas and never having the ability to gamble on ‘34-Purple’ yet one more time, I feel it’s going to be very powerful for me,” Antetokounmpo mentioned, referring to his uniform quantity. “On the finish of the day, I wish to win. We’ve misplaced seven in a row, and I don’t bear in mind the final time I misplaced seven in a row. We gotta lock in … and have the ability to get that win tomorrow [in Brooklyn].
“However I felt good. … For the primary recreation again, I felt highly effective. I hoped that I might assist the crew win the sport, however now we have one other one tomorrow and now we have to get again on monitor.”
Antetokounmpo had been listed as questionable for the Bucks’ first go to to MSG this season, however the nine-time All-Star participated within the crew’s morning shootaround and was introduced as obtainable about an hour earlier than tipoff.
Antetokounmpo dedicated two private fouls within the first 90 seconds of the opening quarter, however he nonetheless netted 15 factors by halftime, together with a few alley-oop dunks, earlier than matching that scoring output after intermission.
“With Giannis again, clearly he was on a minutes restriction tonight, which is actually tough in a recreation like this,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned. “We misplaced the leads after we took him off the ground.”
Certainly one of Milwaukee’s early wins this season was a 121-111 defeat of the Knicks at Fiserv Discussion board on Oct. 30, with Antetokounmpo netting a game-high 37 factors on 16-for-22 taking pictures in 33 minutes.
When requested afterward by a Publish reporter about ESPN’s preliminary report regarding the summertime commerce risk to New York, Antetokounmpo replied, “I don’t keep in mind that.”
“Proper now, I’m right here representing my crew, and that’s it. We beat the Knicks. So it doesn’t matter,” he continued. “What issues proper now could be now we have a recreation in two days … attempt to keep locked in and get two in a row.
“However I didn’t learn that article. I attempt to steer clear of all of the rumors and hypothesis and trades. It doesn’t concern me one bit. I attempt to contain myself and I attempt to assist my crew win video games.”
The 30-year-old Greek Freak did acknowledge that evening there was “lots of further [motivation]” to face the Knicks, who swept Milwaukee within the three-game season collection between the groups final yr.
“They have been means higher than us final yr,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “We didn’t make it powerful for them. It was very straightforward, in my view. Because the chief of this crew, I bear in mind. I don’t neglect issues.”
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