Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 5 of the first round series against the Boston Celtics, and are now facing elimination ahead of Game 6, trailing 2-3. Bucks’ star player Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t about to let that happen and vowed that he will be “more aggressive” in the Thursday’s game.
“It’s on me,”- said Antetokounmpo. “As I said, I had open shots, but they wasn’t my shots, so I didn’t feel comfortable to take them. I think my teammates did a great job finding me, but come the next game, in Game 6, I got to be more aggressive, make more plays because definitely my teammates need me.“
Giannis Antetokounmpo only attempted 10 shots in Game 5 and ended with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. He scored five field goals and had only two drives to the basket. For comparison, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.5 points and 17.5 shot attempts in the first four games of the series.
Milwaukee Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty acknowledged that his team’s success depends on the production of their best player and intends to find better-shot opportunities for Antetokounmpo in Game 6.
“We all have to take responsibility in that — finding different spots to put him in,” Bucks interim head coach Joe Prunty said. “I think Giannis is one of the most aggressive drivers in the game, trying to get downhill. I think he gets bodied quite a bit. What I’m concerned about [is] how much they’re pushing. I want him to keep attacking regardless of how physical the game may be. But in the grand scheme of things, I would just say it’s on all of us. I’ve got to help find him better opportunities for shots. We have to make sure he’s getting the ball, but I want to make sure for us we got a quality possession every time. We’ve got multiple guys that are capable of knocking shots down. I don’t want it to turn into, ‘Hey, we have to do this for Giannis.’“
