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Antetokounmpo Reflects On Milwaukee Bucks’ Playoff Exit And Team Future

sanjeev April 30, 2025 05:21 PM

Giannis Antetokounmpo chose not to comment on his future with the Milwaukee Bucks after their playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. Despite his impressive performance of 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists, the Bucks were defeated 119-118, leading to a 4-1 series loss.

This marked their third consecutive first-round playoff exit. Antetokounmpo has long expressed his ambition to secure another championship with the team.

Antetokounmpo expressed his disappointment and acknowledged the need for self-reflection to help the Bucks overcome this setback. "It doesn't feel good, man," he said. "Just got to look in the mirror and I just have to be better ... as a team, we work hard. We play the right way. Not being able to win games definitely hurts, but you got to keep doing what you're doing."

The Bucks faced Game 5 without star point guard Damian Lillard due to a season-ending ACL injury from their previous encounter with Indiana. Antetokounmpo felt they owed it to Lillard to win. "I felt like we owed this game to Dame," he stated. "That's what I felt. I felt like he came back maybe earlier than what he's supposed to, went down, sacrificed his body for us."

Despite the loss, Antetokounmpo saw potential growth in his game. He became the first player in NBA history to average at least 32 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists over five postseason games. "I always felt like that would be my last phase," he explained. "As a guy that can playmake and can set up a team, be like a legit point forward out there."

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After the game, Antetokounmpo addressed an incident involving Tyrese Haliburton's father following their defeat. Haliburton scored the decisive lay-up with just 1.3 seconds remaining, sealing the Pacers' victory. Fans rushed onto the court in celebration when Antetokounmpo was approached by someone he initially thought was a Pacers fan.

The individual turned out to be Haliburton's father who taunted him with a towel bearing Haliburton's image. "I believe in being humble in victory," said Antetokounmpo about the incident. "At that moment I thought it was a fan, but then I realised it was Tyrese's dad." He added that while he respects Tyrese as a competitor, he found his father's actions disrespectful.

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When asked if he could win another title with Milwaukee-a team he's been part of for over ten years-Antetokounmpo declined to speculate on his future prospects there: "I'm not going to do this," he said when asked if he thought he can win another title in Milwaukee.