Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo provided a simple explanation Wednesday for why he sat down on the Wells Fargo Center court late in overtime of his team's 109-105 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers: He was just having fun.

Antetokounmpo told reporters he came out with a different mindset in the second half after trailing by 14:

"Is there something wrong with having fun? I don't think there's anything wrong with having fun. I just like to have fun. In the first half, I was not having fun. I kind of, you know, talked to myself at the half and said, 'No matter how bad the game is, you can't forget what you have to do, which is have fun.'

"Obviously, there's a couple times where I exaggerate, but I don't want to take anything back. I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to sit down.' I was having fun. I was talking to my teammates—I was talking to them. I was just trying to be in the moment. But I was just having fun."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGzvPVtjXrU

Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 32 points to go with 15 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes. Milwaukee outscored Philadelphia by five in the third quarter and nine in the fourth to force the extra period and walked away with a statement victory over a fellow Eastern Conference contender.

Not everybody was happy with the two-time reigning NBA MVP's celebration, though. Sixers center Dwight Howard said he almost channeled his inner "Stone Cold" Steve Austin:

"I wanted to go and Stone Cold Stunner him, but I had already got one tech. It's basketball. He wanted to have fun, but we'll see these guys again. Today, we allowed them to get back into the game. We did it. We can't control that.

"But he had a hell of a game. Hit some tough shots late at the end of the game, reigning MVP, and he had a great game. I'm not one to talk trash or say anything negative, but we'll see them again and it'll be a different result."

The Bucks (26-14) and Sixers (28-13) will meet again for two straight on April 22 and April 24 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Those matchups could play a key role in helping determine which team gets the No. 1 seed in the East.

Giannis Antetokounmpo knew Sunday's All-Star Game was over before it even started thanks to LeBron James' drafting ability.

The Milwaukee Bucks star told reporters, "Yeah, it's over guys," when he found out the starting lineup was himself, James, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic and then helped Team LeBron back up the talk as the game MVP on the way to a 170-150 victory over Team Durant.

After the game, Giannis said the King will make quite the general manager following his playing days:

Thank you 🙏🏽 You’ll make a great GM one day 😂 https://t.co/3s5WUx3KPH

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) March 8, 2021

To be fair to Kevin Durant, his team was without arguably its top two players. He was sidelined, and the league announced Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid was also out because of contact tracing.

Team LeBron was dominant throughout, winning the first three quarters leading up to the target-score finish that was put in place for the fourth. Antetokounmpo was unstoppable around the rim and finished with 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 shooting.

Curry added 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting from deep, which was the exact clip from three-point range for Damian Lillard on his way to 32 points off the bench. Lillard also won the game by connecting from a foot inside half court on the final shot.

LeBron played just 13 minutes with four points and let his drafting do the talking over his play.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo added another accolade to his growing trophy cabinet, winning All-Star Game MVP in Team LeBron's 170-150 win over Team Durant.  

After the victory, Antetokounmpo commented on how the honor is more meaningful based on its namesake, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

"Having an award named after Kobe Bryant in my house is a great feeling," he told reporters. "... I know he would be happy."

The 26-year-old's triumph would've been unanimous were it not for the fan vote.

In case you’re wondering who the geniuses were that voted for Giannis ... pic.twitter.com/UUQ3veiwXh

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 8, 2021

Antetokounmpo was a perfect 16-of-16 from the field for a game-high 35 points. He also filled up the stat sheet with seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. The two-time reigning league MVP seemed to take it upon himself to be the top dog on the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkiiZ7VjDDE

In the grand scheme of things, winning All-Star MVP isn't the most illustrious achievement of an NBA player's career. It's typically toward the bottom of any resume for one of the game's greats.

Having said that, a quick perusal of the list of past winners shows how almost all of the biggest names in NBA history have lifted the trophy at least once.

Bryant's four MVPs tied Bob Pettit for the all-time lead. LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Shaquille O'Neal are all three-time winners. Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Jerry West and Bill Russell have each earned the distinction, as well.

Antetokounmpo is certainly on a Hall of Fame trajectory, so it feels appropriate to see him now join that group.

The first NBA Top Shot moment sold at Goldin Auctions was a six-figure buy.

Bidding topped out at $136,530 on Sunday for a 2014 up-and-under layup by Giannis Antetokounmpo against the New York Knicks.

Final Sale Price: $136,530
A great result for our first @nba_topshot sale. pic.twitter.com/QNGMNZr9or

— Goldin (@GoldinCo) March 7, 2021

The price continues the rise of Top Shot, a digital highlights marketplace that utilizes blockchain technology to allow fans to "own" moments from games. It has seen a massive rise in popularity in recent months, thanks in large part to the non-fungible token (NFT) market.

The NBA and NBPA have a partnership with Top Shot, which was founded by Dapper Labs, the Vancouver-based company that is also responsible for the popular CryptoKitties video game.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is confident Team LeBron is heading toward a victory in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game after Thursday night's roster draft.

Antetokounmpo will join team captain LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers along with the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic in the starting lineup, which the two-time defending NBA MVP thinks seals the deal:

“Yeah, it’s over guys.”

Giannis’ reaction to Team LeBron’s starting 5 😂

(via @NBAonTNT) https://t.co/Mk0qzSWzaD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 5, 2021

Team Durant, which won't have captain Kevin Durant as he recovers from a hamstring injury, is set to start Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) and Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).

James explained there's no magic formula for picking a winning squad, though he's 3-0 since the format moved to player captains picking the rosters in 2018.

"I just try to pick players that can complement one another," James said on the TNT broadcast. "We're out on the floor, just try to play the game the right way. It's an All-Star Game, so it's going to be some shenanigans out there, but for the majority of the game, we just play the right way and try to get a win."

One of the night's most surprising moments came at the end of the draft when the two players left on the board were the representatives from the NBA-leading Utah Jazz, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

James defended himself and Durant, jokingly chalking it up to the franchise's history.

"I just want to say something, because there's no slander to the Utah Jazz," he said. "But you guys got to understand, just like in video games growing up, we never played with Utah. Even as great as Karl Malone and John Stockton were, we never would have picked those guys. Never."

Although James' starting lineup does look a bit stronger on paper, Team Durant features an explosive group of bench scorers, led by James Harden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxOpAjmx26c

Given the condensed regular-season schedule, the game's head coaches—the Jazz's Quin Snyder for Team LeBron and the Sixers' Doc Rivers for Team Durant—are probably going to spread the minutes out as evenly as possible with all 12 players on both sides seeing plenty of run.

So it's likely the starting lineups will only be out there together for the first couple of minutes. LeBron's starting unit is almost assuredly going to return for crunch time, but the Durant group may go with some small-ball looks during the "Elam Ending" format as it tries to generate some extra offense.

Tip off for the All-Star Game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta is scheduled for Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his representatives left no stone unturned before the two-time NBA MVP made the decision to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks in December.  

Per Adam Caparell of Complex.com, Antetokounmpo explained the process that he and his agent, Alex Saratsis, went through during the offseason as they were negotiating an extension with Milwaukee. 

"The most important thing he told me is that he wanted me to be happy and to be comfortable with my choice," said Antetokounmpo. "We talked about every single option for months, but at the end of the day, he knows me, and knows what matters the most to me and my family."

Antetokounmpo had until Dec. 22 to decide if he wanted to sign a supermax deal with the Bucks. If he declined the offer, the 26-year-old would have played out the final year of his previous contract and been eligible for free agency this summer. 

Opposing teams seemed to be planning for the hope and possibility that they would have a chance to at least make an offer to the five-time All-Star. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported last October that the Dallas Mavericks "want to have a third star" and were going to "be at the head of the line in pursuing Giannis." The Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat were also mentioned as possible suitors if he became available. 

Despite the uncertainty around Antetokounmpo's deal for most of the offseason, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that Milwaukee would not attempt to trade him if he didn't sign. 

"Instead, the Bucks will try to improve their roster and use the next year to show Antetokounmpo why he should stay," Bontemps wrote. 

The Bucks did make a big move during the offseason to acquire Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Antetokounmpo ended any suspense about his future on Dec. 21 when he officially signed a five-year, $228 million contract to stay in Milwaukee. 

The Bucks had the NBA's best record during the regular season in each of the previous two years but were eliminated from the playoffs before reaching the NBA Finals. Their record isn't as good so far this season (21-14) as it was in those past years, but they have the second-best net rating (+6.3) in the league and are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday talked about his COVID-19 diagnosis after he returned to the court for the first time since Feb. 6 to help lead his team to a 105-100 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Holiday told reporters he tested positive, experienced symptoms and quarantined by himself for 11 days.

The guard also said, "I felt like my legs were OK, but I'm a step slow."

Holiday played 18 minutes and finished with two points, three assists and two turnovers while shooting 1-of-5 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range. It was apparent for stretches that he was working his way back into the lineup because he didn't look like the two-way game-changer he typically is for the Bucks.

He entered play averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from deep.

Milwaukee made a splash this offseason when it traded for Holiday in the hopes of bolstering the lineup around Giannis Antetokounmpo and making a run to the NBA Finals while the two-time defending MVP is still in the middle of his prime.

The Bucks have fallen short of late, losing in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals to the Toronto Raptors and losing in the second round last season to the Miami Heat.

Part of the problem for Milwaukee in those postseason series was the inability of the supporting cast to take advantage of the additional space created when the opposing defense packed the lane to cut off Antetokounmpo's penetration.

Holiday is someone who can do just that while also facilitating for others and helping dictate the pace of the game from the point guard position.

While he is still working his way back to full health for now, his presence should be a major boost come playoff time.

The Milwaukee Bucks are expecting guard Jrue Holiday back in the lineup Sunday after a three-week absence due to the league's health and safety protocols, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

With Holiday sidelined for the last 10 games, the Bucks went 5-5 with five consecutive losses. A home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon gives Milwaukee an opportunity to reestablish itself as a team to beat in the Eastern Conference against one of the best clubs in the West.

Wojnarowski noted Holiday practiced with his teammates Saturday and has been working on his conditioning in recent days.

Before his nearly monthlong hiatus, the guard was averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds over 23 games.

Milwaukee won the last four consecutive games Holiday played, though there's no guarantee the guard will instantly spark another winning streak. Still, it's a much-needed boost for a roster that has fallen apart too many times in the last 10 games.

The Bucks worked out a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder in order to acquire Holiday ahead of the season in late November. It cost Milwaukee Eric Bledsoe and two future first-round picks to do so. After the team fell in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year, Holiday was a vital upgrade for the Bucks' backcourt.

Now that he's returning to the lineup, he can help Milwaukee stay on the correct course and find some momentum heading into next month's All-Star break.

There are only a few legitimate title contenders in any given NBA season. This year, it feels like the two Los Angeles teams and the star-laden Brooklyn Nets are among them. The Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers need to be included in that group as well if they continue their hot starts.

And then, of course, is the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are loaded with talent yet again, as the two-time defending MVP is flanked by Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. The acquisition of Holiday gave the Bucks the best No. 3 option they've had in the Greek Freak years, even if it cost the team some depth. 

Can this team get over the postseason hump and finally get to a NBA Finals? Can they keep pace with the Sixers and Nets? Let's take a look at the schedule they'll face as they look to answer those questions.

               

Bucks Second-Half Schedule Details

Second-Half Opener: Thursday, March 11 vs. the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +700, per FanDuel (bet $100 to win $700)

Second-Half Schedule: NBA.com

                 

Top Matchups

Philadelphia 76ers (March 17, April 22, April 24)

The Sixers and Bucks didn't play in the first half of the season, making these second-half showdowns all the more interesting. 

Both teams have their own versions of "falling short" narratives they are hoping to exorcise. The Bucks have been the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs two years running and haven't reached the NBA Finals. The Sixers have yet to fully maximize the potential of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. 

But the Sixers have been excellent this year under new head coach Doc Rivers, with a revamped starting lineup that includes Seth Curry and Danny Green providing spacing. Add in Tobias Harris playing the best basketball of his career, and these Sixers are a problem. 

The matchups between these teams will be a fascinating barometer for Eastern Conference supremacy. 

                               

Brooklyn Nets (May 2, May 4)

The Nets haven't had as good a start as the Sixers, but their Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving arguably makes them the larger threat. At the very least, no team in the NBA can match the star power Brooklyn brings to the table. 

Most teams play better defense, however. Who on the Nets will guard Antetokounmpo, for instance? Who on the Nets really guards anyone, for that matter?

Granted, the Nets won the first meeting, 125-123. If for no other reason, you'll want to tune in for the rematch to see the pure scoring spectacle on display. Matchup No. 2 could end up being a 135-130 affair. It will be more fun for Bucks fans this time around if Milwaukee gets the dub. 

                 

Second-Half Forecast

The Bucks' ho-hum 19-13 start (well, ho-hum for a team that went 56-17 last year and 60-22 the year before that) isn't cause for concern just yet. Last year's surprising butt-kicking from the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals—and this year's lukewarm start—hasn't changed the fact that the Bucks are legitimate title contenders this season. 

The trio of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday is very, very good. Milwaukee has to answer questions about whether they can translate their usual regular-season success into postseason glory, but do you doubt that this team will kick it into high gear in the second half of the season?

You probably shouldn't. The Bucks handle their business in the regular season. 

                           

Prediction

The Bucks finish 49-23 and secure the top seed in the East, yet again, just barely clearing the Sixers. 

    

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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo praised teammate Khris Middleton after he wasn't selected as one of the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves Tuesday.

"Actually, it was kind of surprising," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "To me, Khris is an All-Star. All-Star player. Not to disrespect any of the other players that made the team, they're all having great, great seasons, but Khris is an All-Star. Bottom line, he's an All-Star."

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer also expressed his support for the ninth-year forward following Tuesday night's 139-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves:

"We feel like Khris is an All-Star. We feel like he deserves it. The numbers and everything, his efficiency and what he does in a game on both ends of the court is very special. But you never want to take away from, you know, there's a lot of guys that are deserving. The players that were selected, I would never say they are not always deserving, but he's in our locker room. He's with us. We certainly feel like he's an All-Star and proven it and proved it again this year."

Middleton added he was "a little disappointed" by being left off the All-Star roster but congratulated those who were selected instead.

The 29-year-old Texas A&M product, who made the All-Star Game each of the past two years, joined the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker and Utah Jazz's Mike Conley Jr. among the top players who weren't voted to make the trip to Atlanta for the midseason showcase.

Middleton has averaged 20.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals across 32 appearances. He's shooting 49.8 percent from the field, including 43.4 percent from three-point range, and he ranks second to the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James among small forwards in ESPN's offensive RPM.

While he put together a strong case for a third straight All-Star selection, and he could still make it if players are removed because of injury, both the East and West groups are stacked, so it's just as difficult to argue against any of the choices made by the fans and coaches.

Middleton, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are back in action Thursday night when they host All-Star Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans in a nationally broadcast game on TNT.