© Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo calls out the Milwaukee Bucks to be more organized after semis loss to the Indiana Pacers
Failure to play as a team led to their elimination from the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Milwaukee Bucks main man Giannis Antetokounmpo lamented.
Giannis said they were simply disorganized in their 119-128 semifinal loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"We have to be more organized. We have to know what we are trying to get down the stretch. At the end of the day, like down the stretch, it's about effort and attitude. You have to go out there and take it. I feel like the Indiana team, that's what they did," said Antetokounmpo.
Giannis finished with 37 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks, but those numbers proved insufficient to lead the Bucks to the championship round.
Nothing is easy in the NBA
The two-time MVP said Milwaukee didn't match Indiana's effort on both ends of the floor.
"They crashed the board, they got offensive rebounds. They got to their spots, they played great defense, got deflections," said Giannis.
No team will hand a victory to the opposing team on a silver platter, Giannis reminded his teammates.
"At the end of the day, nothing's given to you in life. Nothing's given to you in an NBA game. We cannot just expect that we run a play; we're going to score a bucket. You have to execute; you got to cut hard, screen harder, get open, drive the ball, make something happen," he said.
In the loss, the Bucks were out-rebounded, 46-51. They also gave up 15 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points.
"They played harder than us," Giannis exclaimed.
Milwaukee had a three-point lead to start the fourth quarter, but Indiana ended the contest with a 21-13 run to steal the win.
Don't rely on talent alone
The Bucks tasted the lead last time at 100-99 when Brook Lopez scored a layup at the 8:53 mark. Milwaukee would only score 19 points from that point on while allowing the Pacers to rack up 29 points.
Milwaukee exploded for 43 points in the third quarter but scored just 25 in the final period.
"We have to be better down the stretch. We got to know what we're trying to accomplish. There were stretches where we weren't on the same page, and it cost us," Giannis said.
The Greek Freak also reminded the Bucks that talent alone won't win games for them.
"The talent that we have is incredible, but we have to be more organized. I felt like sometimes we were not organized at all," he said.
