Giannis Posts 32 and 14 as Bucks Top Kevin Durant, Nets to Open 2021-22 Season
Oct 20, 2021
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 19: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of the season opener at the Fiserv Forum on October 19, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The champions picked up right where they left off.
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 127-104 in Tuesday's season opener at Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the victors, who also beat the Nets in a seven-game classic in last season's playoffs.
Solid showings from Kevin Durant, James Harden and Patty Mills weren't enough for Brooklyn, which remains without Kyrie Irving because of his vaccination status.
If there can be a statement regular-season game for a team that just won a championship, Tuesday's contest was it for the Bucks.
After all, it's not difficult to craft an argument that Brooklyn would have beaten Milwaukee in the second round last season if Harden and Irving were healthy for the entire series. The Nets also could have won if Durant's foot had been inches further back and behind the three-point line on a jumper in the final seconds of regulation that forced overtime in Game 7.
Antetokounmpo had no interest in entertaining the notion that the Nets were actually the better team from the start. He was dominant for stretches in the first half while staking Milwaukee to a lead that expanded to as many as 19 points.
While Brooklyn climbed back within seven by halftime, the two-time MVP controlled the boards, hit from the outside, met Nicolas Claxton at the rim for an emphatic block, got out in transition and was largely unstoppable around the rim.
His performance was all the more important because Jrue Holiday was ruled out for the game with a right heel contusion after his own quick start.
Giannis needed some help without the go-to point guard, and the combination of Pat Connaughton and Jordan Nwora provided a spark off the bench as the home team kept Brooklyn at bay in the third quarter. Khris Middleton also found his touch as a scorer and dazzled with a full-court pass to Antetokounmpo for a dunk.
Yet when the game was on the line early in the fourth quarter, it was back to Antetokounmpo as a one-man wrecking crew who overpowered Brooklyn defenders in the paint, played strong defense on the other end and largely put the game away.
Patty Mills' Impressive Showing Not Enough for Nets
One of the biggest off-court stories in the league heading into the new season is the status of Irving. New York mandates mean he cannot play home games, and Nets general manager Sean Marks announced the seven-time All-Star will not join the team until he can be a full participant.
It also has a massive impact on the court since the Big Three of Irving, Durant and Harden is the primary reason Brooklyn is on the short list of title contenders.
Alas, other playmakers around Harden and Durant will need to provide secondary scoring while Irving remains out. Mills answered the call by drilling all five of his three-point attempts in the first half alone while helping the visitors battle back following a brutal start.
The Nets still needed more, though, as Mills was the only player on their bench to make a single field goal through three quarters while they fell behind by double digits once again.
Harden did his part for stretches with his outside shot and lob passes to Claxton, and Durant kept his team within striking distance with his smooth stroke and rebounding. Given the way Mills played, it was something of a Big Three even without Irving on the floor.
Still, Paul Millsap, Jevon Carter and LaMarcus Aldridge were invisible as offensive contributors; Bruce Brown rode the bench in a somewhat surprising move; and Blake Griffin didn't have much left offensively since he was stuck guarding Antetokounmpo so many times on the other end.
That is not a formula for victory against the defending champs.
What's Next?
Both teams hit the road to face fellow Eastern Conference contenders for their next game. Milwaukee plays the Miami Heat on Thursday, while Brooklyn goes against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Bucks Championship 2021 Banner, Ring Ceremony, Twitter Reaction and Highlights
Oct 19, 2021
Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez looks at his championship ring before the team's NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the 2021-22 season with a ring ceremony on their home court at Fiserv Forum.
The championship ring was crafted by Jewelers Mutual Group and features the phrases "Fear The Deer" and "Bucks In 6" with Milwaukee's series results from last year's postseason. The top of the ring is detachable and doubles as a chain.
First to receive their rings were members of the Bucks ownership group. Milwaukee also honored former Senator Herb Kohl, who owned the team from 1985 to 2014, with a championship ring.
Last up was 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was serenaded with chants of "MVP!" His running mate, Khris Middleton, spoke to the crowd and thanked the fans as Milwaukee then unveiled its 2021 championship banner, its first in 50 years.
After the celebration, the Bucks will open their season against the Brooklyn Nets, who they defeated in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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Now a Champ, Giannis Says 'Nobody Remembers' Offseason Headline-Grabbers
Oct 19, 2021
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) takes the court at the start of the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Will Kyrie Irving remain unvaccinated and thus not become a "full participant" in the Brooklyn Nets' pursuit of the franchise's first NBA title?
In the offseason, 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons demanded a trade. He's back with the team after missing most of training camp and the preseason. Will he suit up in a game for Philly, or will we just be talkin' about practice until he's shipped out?
What about Washington's Bradley Beal? Portland's Damian Lillard? Will their teams stand pat or pursue a trade, or will they force their way out?
These are the dominant NBA themes heading into the season. Little buzz surrounds the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, who bring back most of their core group, once again led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
We haven't seen a defending champion's efforts at repeating so easily ignored while bringing back its core group since the 2004 Detroit Pistons—a team that, like the Bucks, defied the predictions of many to win it all.
"I'm not on social media, I'm not following what's going on," Antetokounmpo said. "I'm not following what's going on out there, the moves are going, who's being talked about now, who's favored to win a championship. It doesn't really matter."
He added: "All those things, who remembers who was the favorite? And who [was] the most talked about last year in December when the season started? Nobody remembers. So, those things don't mean anything to me. I focus on the team, do whatever I can to help the team, get in shape because I know my team is going to need me moving forward. And keep building good habits and enjoying one another. It's gonna be a long season."
And it begins Tuesday night as Milwaukee hosts Brooklyn, a fitting opening opponent considering most oddsmakers have the Nets—not the Bucks—as the team to beat this year in the NBA.
The lack of acknowledgment and adoration is nothing new for the Bucks despite their efforts to build a title-contending team for the present as well as the near future.
Milwaukee's top three players—Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday—are signed to multiyear deals that have at least two years remaining after this season.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst, the NBA's Executive of the Year in 2019, agreed to a multiyear deal last week to remain in Milwaukee.
And according to HoopsHype, Milwaukee's payroll for the 2021-22 season of $158.1 million is the fifth-highest in the NBA. That sends a clear sign they are not afraid to spend, which is a constant criticism of smaller-market teams.
But what's really telling about the Bucks' growth?
Being able to sign players for below-market value, as they did with Bobby Portis when they re-signed him to a two-year, $8.9 million contract after a strong postseason run. His performance was one of the many factors that contributed to the franchise's first NBA title in 50 years.
The lack of hoopla surrounding the Bucks may seem unusual coming off the season they had.
But the low-key, high-impact persona of the franchise, in many ways, is on-brand with its star player.
Antetokounmpo is a two-time league MVP still fighting for the kind of respect that less accomplished players (in bigger markets, mind you) get with ease.
As an NBA champion, Antetokounmpo's profile as a larger-than-life global icon could not be greater than it is now.
But other than a few social media sightings of him globetrotting with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, he has remained out of the public spotlight.
Even if the Bucks are not on the lips of fans and media, rest assured, they are very much on the minds of all 29 NBA teams looking to knock them off the top of the NBA mountaintop.
"The goal has always been the same," Antetokounmpo said. "Improve as a team, day by day, and hopefully have a chance to win a championship."
As much as Antetokounmpo and the Bucks would love for things to be the same, their starting point to the season speaks to how different things are.
Previous seasons began as they looked to build toward knocking off the champ.
Tag.
You're it, Milwaukee.
"It feels good that we're the one on top," Holiday said.
And that comes with an entirely different set of pressures, both internally and externally.
Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham won an NBA title as a player with the Pistons in 2004. The Pistons followed that up in 2005 by advancing to the NBA Finals but came up short in a hard-fought, seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Ham acknowledged the shift in pressure that comes when you're trying to defend a championship, in comparison to when you are on the journey toward being a champion.
"That pressure kind of adjusts itself and becomes now more internal: to stay focused and put the focus on what you did to sustain the habits that you were able to implement and carry out in order to achieve the goal," Ham told Bleacher Report. "The pressure becomes internal and the ultimate fight is to not be complacent, for you to care and be self-motivated and group-motivated to accomplish the goal."
Ham added: "It's not a secret anymore. You're not a secret. You're not going to fly under the radar with any of the 29 other teams. Everyone is going to be ready to give you their best game. The fact that there's no pressure among yourselves to wonder, 'Can we do this? Can we get it done? We've done that already.' But now, can we sustain our winning habits?"
For Milwaukee, a big part of keeping that train of winning habits moving began on media day prior to training camp.
Inside the Bucks locker room, head coach Mike Budenholzer delivered a strong but succinct message.
And if they didn't fully understand the message he was speaking about, it was spelled out clearly on the dry erase board.
Do It Again!
While most would assume that means to repeat as champions, Ham said there was a deeper meaning to Budenholzer's words.
"We have to sustain the winning habits we created, that we were able to carry out that brought us a championship," Ham said. "Now, can we do that again? We want to control our preparation. and when the opportunity presents [itself], we want to be ready. … The only way we can be prepared is to grow and get better every day. Daily growth."
That starts with Antetokounmpo, who has embraced the journey of winning it all, well aware of what that looks and feels like—yet another difference when compared to previous seasons.
But as much as repeating as champions will drive him, he's well aware that being a champion is a process that begins now.
"Keep getting better," he said. "That's all we can think about. Keep building good habits, and as the season goes on, we're gonna figure out what we need to do in order for us to get back where we need to get back [to]. It's too early to figure out what we need to do in order for us to get back."
Core players signed to long-term deals. Key members of the front office rewarded with long-term deals. An ownership group willing to spend to keep the franchise among the elite.
It all adds up to a Bucks team that enters this season with stability, on and off the court, guided by a focus on repeating as NBA champs.
"The group that we have doesn't look too far into that," Holiday said. 'We kind of look at ourselves first and how we can be better than last year. We added a lot of new pieces and guys back who can make an impact. That's part of getting better as a team. Training camp and this first half of the season is more about us and what we want to do, again."
What's often overlooked in Milwaukee's ascension was the growing pains that allowed the Bucks to become champions.
The two seasons prior to winning it all, the Bucks had the best record in the East but failed to get to the NBA Finals.
Last season, the Bucks had a more measured pace. Their record wasn't as good as in prior seasons, but they were better prepared for a long postseason journey.
One of the most important developments during last season's playoff run was the knee injury Antetokounmpo suffered against Atlanta and how his teammates responded.
The hyperextended left knee suffered in Game 4 of Milwaukee's Eastern Conference Finals series against Atlanta sidelined him for Games 5 and 6.
The injury was initially thought to be severe enough to keep him out for the remainder of the playoffs, regardless of how far the Bucks advanced.
Instead, after his teammates, led by Middleton, put the Hawks away in six games, Antetokounmpo returned and played in all six games against Phoenix in the NBA Finals.
It was yet another mile marker for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo in their journey toward being a champion. That goal continues to drive them even if others doubt Milwaukee's chances at repeating, which is on their minds heading into this season.
"As long as I can run, walk, play basketball, the goal is always going to be the same [to win a championship]," Antetokounmpo said.
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