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“This is a good lesson for us!” - Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts after the Milwaukee Bucks’ streak-busting loss to the Philadelphia Sixers

Giannis Antetokounmpo urged the Milwaukee Bucks to play consistently for 48 minutes.
Matthew Dugandzic|
“This is a good lesson for us!” - Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts after the Milwaukee Bucks’ streak-busting loss to the Philadelphia Sixers
“This is a good lesson for us!” - Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts after the Milwaukee Bucks’ streak-busting loss to the Philadelphia Sixers

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Unfortunately, the Milwaukee Bucks fell short in their bid to match the franchise's longest winning streak when they bowed to the Philadelphia 76ers, 133-130, on Saturday night.

Giannis points out a lesson for the team

But for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the loss will serve the Bucks well in the future, as the defeat was like a learning experience for them. The Bucks led by as many as 18 points but couldn't hang on, as they saw their 16-game win streak come to an abrupt end.

Failure to defend when needed most spelled the Bucks' downfall, Giannis pointed out.

"They went wherever they wanted to go, scoring from the paint, floaters, isos, offensive rebounds, free throws, 3s," Giannis said.

Antetokounmpo learned, albeit the hard way, that they have to play consistent basketball all throughout.

"You name it. They were able to get everything. We've got to be able to play 48 minutes of good basketball, defend for 48 minutes," said Antetokounmpo, who ended the match with 34 points and 13 rebounds.

A three-pointer by Grayson Allen, his sixth of the night, gave the Bucks a 95-77 lead with only 2:42 left in the third.

The lead, however, quickly evaporated, and a three-pointer by Joel Embiid put the Sixers ahead for the first time in the second half, 127-125, with only 42 seconds left.

"This is a good lesson for us," Antetokounmpo said.

Bounced back with a win

The Bucks seemed to have their lesson fast as they quickly bounced back from that loss with a 117-111 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.

From a slim 34-28 lead after the first quarter, the Bucks zoomed to a sizeable 59-48 lead at the half.

The Wizards launched some mini runs in the third, but unlike in their previous match against the Sixers, the Bucks came up with needed stops and timely hits to preserve the win.

The win against the Wizards allowed the Bucks to stay atop the Eastern Conference team standings at 46-18.

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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.