Bucks Zone

Giannis says the tough loss to the Pacers will help the Bucks get better

The Greek Freak sees a lot of positives in their two-point loss to Indiana.

Matthew Dugandzic

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The Milwaukee Bucks dropped a heartbreaker on the road on Wednesday night, losing to the Indiana Pacers, 124-126, after failing to protect a sizable lead late in the game.

The two-point loss put to naught Giannis Antetokounmpo’s great night as the Greek Freak delivered his seventh 50-point career game. It may not be the result the Bucks wanted but Giannis said the loss will only make the Bucks better as the season progresses.

“54. 45. 5. It doesn’t matter. A lot of good things we can learn from today to get better,” Giannis posted on his social media accounts.

Giannis took over

Without Damian Lillard, who sat due to calf soreness, Antetokounmpo carried much of the load for the Bucks as he finished with 54 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists.

The Greek Freak went 19-of-25 from the field and 16-for-18 from the free throw line. His total output is the most points scored by any player this season. He also fell three points shy from tying Michael Redd’s franchise-record.

Doomed by too many errors

Perhaps one of the things that Giannis and the Bucks should learn from the loss is how to take care of the ball better.

While it was a big-scoring night for Giannis, it was also an erratic night for him as he committed eight of the Bucks’ 14 turnovers. Indiana on the other side had only 11 turnovers.

Two of Antetokounmpo’s turnovers came in the closing seconds and hastened their downfall as they squandered a nine-point lead with only five minutes left.

Giannis Antetokounmpo went beast mode on the Indiana Pacers with 54 points

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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.