Bucks Zone

"We got to help him" - Adrian Griffin reacts to Giannis Antetokounmpo's losing triple-double performance

The Greek Freak needs his teammates to step up.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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For the second time in the last five games, Giannis Antetokounmpo came up with a triple-double performance, but his productive outing on Monday night still failed to save the Milwaukee Bucks as they badly lost to the Utah Jazz, 116-132.

Giannis completed his fourth triple-double of the season when he finished with 25 points, 11 assists, and ten rebounds in a game that saw the Bucks trail by as many as 33 points.

Despite Giannis’ monstrous performance, the Bucks still ended up absorbing their second-straight loss and their fourth in the last five games.

Teammates have to step up

Coach Adrian Griffin said Antetokounmpo has been playing terrific, but the Greek Freak needs to get ample support and help for his efforts to translate into wins.

“He’s incredible, but we got to help him, and I thought, for the most part, we always handle it pretty well,” Griffin said.

Giannis collected 30 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists when the Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers on January 1st.

Antetokounmpo scored 48 points but also didn’t get enough help when the Bucks lost to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, 108-112.

Against Utah, Khris Middleton (23 points), Malik Beasley (17), and Brook Lopez (13) were the only other Bucks to score in twin figures. The Jazz had six players scoring in double figures, with Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, and Keyonte George scoring at least 19 points apiece.

Make the defense pay

Giannis attracts multiple defenders in almost every single possession, something the Bucks should capitalize on.

“Every game they’re going to double Giannis, we just got to keep making plays,” Adrian said. “I thought Giannis always does a great job with double teams. He’s not going to be perfect over a 48-minute game.”

Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard against Utah, which made it easier for the Jazz to collapse on Giannis. Antetokounmpo actually does a good job of finding his open teammates when he is double-teamed, but there are times that the Bucks simply couldn’t make their shots, Griffin lamented.

Not all shots will fall, but Adrian urged his team to be ready to pounce on scoring opportunities that may come from the opposing teams’ constant double-teaming on Giannis.

“It’s not going to always fall,” Griffin said. 

The Milwaukee Bucks struggles continue, lose convincingly to the Utah Jazz

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.