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"We've got to have that individual pride to keep guys in front of us as much as we can" - Giannis Antetokounmpo says team defense will let them rise over the NBA's elite

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo discusses how the team's defensive mindset will be key in their title campaign.
Matthew Dugandzic|
"We've got to have that individual pride to keep guys in front of us as much as we can" - Giannis Antetokounmpo says team defense will let them rise over the NBA's elite
"We've got to have that individual pride to keep guys in front of us as much as we can" - Giannis Antetokounmpo says team defense will let them rise over the NBA's elite

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Milwaukee Bucks

As explosive as the Milwaukee Bucks' offense has been this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo knows it will be their defense that will set them apart from the rest of the pack. This they deftly showed against the league-leading Boston Celtics, which they beat, 131-125 in overtime on Tuesday night at the Fiserv Forum.

"We've got to have that individual pride to keep guys in front of us as much as we can. That's what makes us great," said Giannis.

Overtime comeback

Despite not having their three best players in All-Stars, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, the Celtics hung tough and led by five, 123-118, with two minutes remaining in overtime. That's when the Bucks turned up their defense to fuel their offense. After Giannis made two free throws, Jrue Holiday stripped Celtics guard Derrick White of the Ball and went all the way for a slam dunk to pull the Bucks to within one, 122-123. Holiday had two of his three steals in overtime.

Holiday would later add a triple to give the Bucks the lead for good, 127-125, and another steal by Grayson Allen seconds later practically sealed the win for Milwaukee.

Count on defense

A former Defensive Player of the Year award-winner, Giannis knows how much pride it takes to lock up your assignment. In the Bucks, he sees numerous players who are more than willing to put in the work.

"We gotta guard, we gotta guard," Antetokounmpo said. "They're a team that moves the ball a lot. It doesn't matter who's out there, they're very disciplined, they just keep moving the ball, try to break down our defense, and find open shots."

"Obviously, we did it a little bit more when we were down in the fourth quarter, did it in overtime, but like, we gotta do it throughout the whole game. That's when we're at our best."

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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.