The Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won the internet’s hearts for showing his spirit of sportsmanship during the game against the Toronto Raptors. The forward is currently injured and was unavailable for Friday’s game, but that did not stop him from showing his leadership qualities.
The Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley lost his uncle Shawn Hamilton to cancer last month. Hence, before the game started, Giannis Antetokounmpo took the opportunity to pray for Quickley’s late uncle. The player formed a huddle with other Bucks teammates and invited Quickley, knowing the close relationship he shared with the uncle.
Antetokounmpo gained respect for the gesture as Quickley referred to his uncle as ‘another father figure’. This was the guard’s third game back after missing six straight due to his uncle’s passing, and he almost scored a triple-double with 25 points, eleven rebounds, and nine assists.
The guard’s performance took the Toronto Raptors to a 117-111 victory. Following a historic loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team has now broken their losing streak, after the Raptors’ highest point deficit of 48 points.
The Milwaukee Bucks have lost three consecutive games
The Milwaukee Bucks‘ season has been full of ups and downs. The team is currently heading into a risky run as they have now lost three straight games. The losses are surprising as the second seed in the Eastern Conference has fallen short against the teams with less than a .500 record.
The Bucks have lost three consecutive games. (Image via open source)The team’s lack of chemistry with the head coach has been an ongoing issue for a while now. After the team lost against the Memphis Grizzlies, HC Doc Rivers subtly blamed Antetokounmpo’s injury for the loss. The coach revealed that he wanted to take the player out of the game on multiple occasions but the medical staff cleared him for any injuries.
Asked Doc Rivers what he saw out of Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight and he said he wished he would have taken Antetokounmpo out of the game in the third quarter. Rivers mentioned seeing Antetokounmpo grab at his left leg.
River’s full response: pic.twitter.com/oeENkDGve7
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 4, 2024
After the next loss against the Washington Wizards, in the post-game interview Antetokounmpo also subtly hinted that the players should focus on the target collectively without taking River’s help. As the playoffs are around the corner the team will need to find a way to win without their star players.
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