Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo's Playoff Advice is Odd

Two-time Milwaukee MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has an interesting take on the postseason.

Apr 10, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket against New Orleans Pelicans center Kylor Kelley (35) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks won their sixth straight game, cruising to a 136-111 obliteration of the visiting New Orleans Pelicans in Fiserv Forum.

That contest was notable primarily for a bizarre decision from Doc Rivers in the third quarter. The club's second-year head coach opted to pull nine-time All-Star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for Kyle Kuzma, with 2:41 left in the period, and two-time All-Defensive Team center Brook Lopez for reserve power forward/center Bobby Portis, at the 6:35 mark of the frame.

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Rather than hang out at the team's bench, Rivers sent both players to the team's locker room to shower up and prepare for the club's impending matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, whom Milwaukee is directly ahead of in the Eastern Conference standings. Veteran reserve combo guard Gary Trent Jr. later went on to join them.

After the bout, Rivers verified that he was indeed trying to expedite the players' prep for the Pistons bout.

Doc Rivers confirmed that all of the players leaving the bench early was a function of trying to get to Detroit quicker.

He joked that when we leave the interview room and head to the locker room there will be no one there for us to interview.

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 11, 2025

Antetokounmpo finished with 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field (1-of-2 from deep) and a very Antetokounmpo-esque 5-of-10 shooting from the charity stripe, 11 rebounds, five assists and a block in just 25:35 of action.

Lopez wrapped up his night with just three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the floor, a rebound, an assist, and a block in 23:03. Trent chipped in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting (4-of-7 from distance) and 1-of-1 shooting from the foul line. Nobody played more than Kuzma's 27:50 in a relaxing blowout. Kuzma also left for the tunnel early.

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If the regular season ended today, the Bucks would play the No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers in a rematch of their first-round clash last spring, which Indiana won in six games amid injuries to Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. But none of the East's Nos. 3-6 seeds are quite settled yet, with the New York Knicks and Pacers competing for the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds and Milwaukee and Detroit in a fight for the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds.

Speaking to press after the game, Antetokounmpo dolled out some surprising playoff advice.

"It's totally different in the playoffs," Antetokounmpo said. "The intensity is higher, the attention to detail is different. The physicality is different... It's not the same."

The Finals MVP knows of what he speaks. Antetokounmpo has ground his way through eight consecutive playoff appearances prior to this season, including two Eastern Conference Finals runs and Milwaukee's successful championship stint in 2021.

"Teams cannot just flip the switch just because it's playoffs," Antetokounmpo added. "I think you gotta build habits throughout the regular season... If you've never been in the playoffs, there's nothing that I can tell you to make you understand."

Through 66 games this season, the two-time MVP is averaging 30.4 points on 60.3 percent shooting from the floor and 61.2 percent shooting from the foul line, 11.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks a night.

More Milwaukee Bucks:

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How Bobby Portis Can Replace Damian Lillard in Bucks Lineup

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For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.