MY ACCOUNT
Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed that watching tape of his struggles on the glass had provided the catalyst for his superb showing in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Orlando Magic.
Antetokounmpo collected 20 rebounds as the NBA champions claimed a 117-108 victory in Milwaukee, adding 32 points for good measure.
Mike Budenholzer’s men have now won three in a row for the first time this season, with Antetokounmpo leading the way.
The Finals MVP became the fifth player to reach 32 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks in a game over the past 40 seasons, following in the footsteps of DeMarcus Cousins, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.
“I watched a lot of clips and I was losing rebounds,” said Antetokounmpo.
“That frustrates me and I wanted to do a better job, using my body, being in the right spots.
“I know if I can get the rebounds, we can get on the offense; it’s faster and I can get myself going that way.”
Bobby Portis added a season-high 24 points along with 15 rebounds, earning warm praise from Antetokounmpo.
“He creates space on the floor for everybody, not just me but for Khris [Middleton] and Jrue [Holiday], for Grayson [Allen],” said the 26-year-old.
“A lot of guys are worried about him, they know he’s capable of making the open shot. He helps us find more driving lanes, he just makes the court bigger.
“It’s great that he’s feeling good. When he’s open, you pass him the ball and he’s probably going to make it.
“We need him to keep playing like this, we need him to keep being aggressive, to keep leading – he’s one of the leaders in this team – we need his energy, and we need everything he’s doing moving forward.”
With the Bucks now 9-8 for the season, Antetokounmpo hopes this winning streak can continue.
“It feels good, but we’ve got to stay humble and keep getting better,” he added.
“Khris is going to keep getting more involved and getting into his spots, Jrue is going to do the same. Bobby is playing great, competing.
“We’re getting better and that ends up with wins, but we’ve got to keep going and get more wins.”
