Bucks Zone

"You can’t expect to be at your best!"- Giannis Antetokounmpo says being out for a week impacted the loss to the Atlanta Hawks

Giannis Antetokounmpo looked a bit rusty in the loss to the Hawks.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games due to injury. He sat out due to knee soreness, and the Bucks definitely missed him. He returned to the lineup, but that wasn't enough, as the Hawks came out with the victory last night, beating them for the second time in the young season.

In his return, the 'Greek Freak' looked rusty, and he addressed the reporters in the post-game press conference. Giannis blamed the long gap as the reason for his underwhelming performance against the Hawks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo looked out of touch

Before he suffered the injury, Giannis was playing some of the best basketball of his life. His team had started 8-0, and he was leading the MVP race. Giannis last played a game a week ago, and it showed versus Atlanta last night, as he was just a bit out of touch.

He started the game slowly and took only 3 shots in the first quarter. His frequency increased as the game continued, but his efficiency wasn't there. He finished with 27 points and 8 rebounds on 8-21 shooting and 11-18 from the free throw line. His touch at the rim wasn't there, and he wasn't confident in his jump shot.

On the positive side, this might have been Giannis' worst game of the season, and he still finished with 27 points. That speaks volumes about how dominant The Greek Freak has been, averaging 31 points and nearly 12 boards on over 51% shooting.

The Greek Freak admits lack of playing time is the reason for rustiness

In the post-game press conference, Giannis admitted he was rusty.

"When was the last time I played, like six or seven days ago, a week ago? But that's part of it. You can't get too low or get too high. It's part of it. You can't expect to be at your best when you haven't played for a week." Giannis explained.

Missing a week is tough for any player, and getting back into a competitive rhythm is a challenge. Despite that, Giannis played pretty well, and he gave his team a good chance to win this game, but they just fell a bit short.

The Bucks had a chance to make a comeback in the 4th quarter. They closed the gap down to 9 points with over 3minutes remaining. But the Hawks held on firm, and when Giannis fouled out of the game with over 90 seconds remaining, the game was sealed, giving the Bucks their 3rd loss on the season.

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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.