Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Preaches ‘Urgency’ After Shocking Loss

More than an hour after a shocking loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, Giannis Antetokounmpo sat in front of his locker, a pair of ice bags wrapped around his knees and a frustrated look on his face.

“We have to want it,” Antetokounmpo said before heading toward the showers. “We have to want it.”

The matchup with Memphis offered the Milwaukee Bucks an opportunity to go into the NBA All-Star break with some momentum. The Bucks had won two of their last three games, with wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Denver Nuggets followed by a blowout loss to the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies, ravaged by injuries, had lost nine of their last 10. It was Memphis, though, that played energized, outscoring Milwaukee 37–28 in the third quarter and holding on for a 113–110 win.

“We had some guys here,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said, “some guys in Cabo.”

The loss dropped Milwaukee to 3–7 in games coached by Rivers, who took over after the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin last month. And while an adjustment period was to be expected, Antetokounmpo made it clear that time was running out.

“We have to have more urgency,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to feel this urgency. I don’t say it for my team, I say it for myself. I want to feel this urgency. I want to go into this break with urgency. And at the end of the day, we have to admit, we lost to Miami by [26] and we lost today. It doesn’t matter by what, we lost. It’s what happened. From what happened, we have to have a little bit of urgency.”

While Antetokounmpo’s chemistry with Damian Lillard is closely watched, Antetokounmpo says it’s about everyone playing up to their potential.

“This is the mistake we are making,” Antetokounmpo says. “Dame is going to be Dame. I’m going to try to be me. And now we’re going to work together to be great. It’s got to be the whole thing. In the past, one of my coaches kept saying, ‘Giannis, you are going to, one way or the other, you’re going to figure it out.’ Same as Dame. How can Brook [Lopez] be great? How can Bobby [Portis] be great? How can Khris [Middleton] be great? How can Pat [Connaughton] be great? How can Malik [Beasley] be great? How can Jae [Crowder] be great? How can all those guys [be great]?”

On Sunday, Antetokounmpo will make his eighth All-Star appearance, all as a starter. When the Bucks return to practice next week, Antetokounmpo says they have to decide how badly they want to win.

“We have to want it now,” Antetokounmpo said. “Enough with the talking. Enough with ‘our s--- don’t stink’ mentality. Do we really want it? Are we putting in the work? Are we going to put in the effort? Are we going to fight for what we think that we deserve or what are our goals? What are the goals we’re trying to accomplish? That’s the most important thing.

“Guys are tired. Maybe it’s an excuse. New coach, an excuse. New system, excuse. New defenses, excuse. All this, it’s an excuse. At the end of the day, you’re going to go out there and try to play basketball. You have to compete. [Memphis] competed harder than us today. [Miami] competed harder than us two days ago. We are not on track of what we’re trying to do. And I feel the team feels it. I feel it and I have now seven days that I have to try to take care of my body, try to rest from this.

“It’s been a mentally draining season with all the changes and all the things that are going on. I have to do a better job setting the tone. I have to do a better job moving the ball. There’s so many things that I have to do. But enough with the talking. Do we really want it? That’s going to be the question that I’m going to ask myself every day until the end of the season. And I’m going to ask my teammates every day until the end of the season: ‘Do we really want it?’

“And if we want it, do what it takes. Do what it requires to be good. … Sometimes it is going to go your way. Sometimes it is not going to go your way. But when effort is not there, it’s very hard for it to go your way.”