What if the Bucks had finally launched their season? Winners in style in Minnesota, Giannis Antetokounmpo's teammates took advantage of a very good 3rd quarter and a sample of “Dame Time” to win 112-107 against Rudy Gobert's teammates. After the hiccup in Memphis and the cutting of the All-Star Game, Brook Lopez believes that this is a benchmark victory.
“ [Jouer ici] was a good barometer for us” summarizes the Bucks pivot. “Before the All-Star Game, we had worked a lot, and the victories and defeats did not necessarily illustrate the fact that we were doing very good training, that we were getting to know each other, that we were discovering the staff and the DOC. As we heard, it was a training camp atmosphere. You don't need me to know that we have just played against a very great team, the best in the West. In a very big atmosphere. Two weeks ago, we played them, and they destroyed and dominated us. Considering the way we played for the majority of the match, it’s a very good sign.”
A benchmark victory
Same conclusion with Giannis Antetokounmpo. After letting out a shout during the All-Star Game break, the “Greek Freak” is very satisfied with his team’s performance.
“It was a good win, wasn’t it? » he asks the press. “Coming out of the break, we have 26 games left and to be able to start like that against a team that is undoubtedly one of the best in the West, the best defense in the league, very, very talented, it's a very good start. We have another one against Philadelphia (Sunday) and hopefully we can put out some good basketball and make this win mean something. Ultimately, it's a good way to set the tone. This is exactly what we talked about before the break: we need to stop talking and take action. I'm glad we did it today. »
What's interesting is that the Bucks didn't panic when the Wolves went from -17 to -4 with two minutes remaining. Before the break, they had often broken down in important moments, and wasted great advances. There, they relied on their strengths: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Build on your strengths
“In matches like this, in my opinion, you have to give the ball to your best players so that they show up and create something,” believes Antetokounmpo. “And Dame has the ball late in the game, I have the ball late in the game, we had some good shots. Dame made some good shots. I was able to go to the free throw line. Brook scored a great 3-pointer at the head of the racket. Jae made a big shot under the boards. Dame was able to get her shot from mid-range and take a few shots. We got some offensive rebounds. You have to give the ball to the best players so that they can change things at the end of the match, and everyone has to be ready to shoot.”
Even clumsy, Lillard actually weighed on the match with his passes, and therefore his two very important shots in “money time”.
“They often took me in twos and I gave the ball to Giannis, who was able to go into the paint, cause a foul and continue. We fed off each other. It was him or me and we didn't have to force it. We played making the right passes throughout the game, and when you play like that, the guys are comfortable and confident. They made clean shots, they touched the ball and I think that sets the stage for good things until the end of the game. »
