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Giannis, Bucks prioritize winning next two regular season games before shifting focus in knockout clash vs. Knicks
The Milwaukee Bucks have earned the outright ticket to the knockout stage of the In-Season Tournament by outlasting the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The victory meant they ended the pool play with a 4-0 card and became the representative of the East Group B in the quarterfinal round.
The perfect record and performance that the Bucks have demonstrated made fans anticipate their looming battle in the single elimination game next week against the New York Knicks – the wild-card team of the Conference in the Tournament. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo clarified that he and his team aren't putting themselves way too ahead for the said marquee matchup.
One step at a time
According to Antetokounmpo, their plan remains intact – prepare later for the Knicks and focus first on their next two regular season games on the road against the Chicago Bulls this Thursday and the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
“I'll be very, very honest with you. I don't skip games. I know in between we have Chicago and after that Atlanta, and then it's the [In-Season] game. Our main focus is Chicago. A very, very good team; very, very dangerous team; very, very talented team. Then after that, we have to focus on Atlanta as they beat us by 30 points – a very, very dangerous team. When the time comes, we can focus on whoever we play at home in [In-Season knockout],” Giannis said.
Still, valuable games to consider
While their upcoming tourney quarterfinal game against New York requires extreme preparation, considering that the Knicks gave them a competitive fight during the group play, it is truly significant for the Bucks to consider their next two games as priorities first before they shift their focus to their journey in Las Vegas.
The Bulls might be struggling with a 5-14 record, but the record tells their hunger to end their continuing drought. Meanwhile, the Hawks remain dangerous behind Trae Young as they have given the Bucks a walloping 127-110 defeat last October in the Fiserv Forum.
These might be regular-season battles, but Giannis and the Bucks consider them important to continue raising their collective momentum and elevate their 2023-24 record.
