Getty Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was unaware the Golden State Warriors were coming off a 52-point blowout loss in Boston when they visited them on Wednesday, March 5, at Chase Center.
“They did? I did not know. I don’t watch basketball,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after their 35-point loss to the Warriors.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks faced the Warriors’ wrath resulting in a 125-90 Golden State bounced-back win that snapped Milwaukee’s six-game winning streak.
“That’s incredible,” Antetokounmpo remarked when he learned about the Warriors’ losing margin. “They lost by 52? Good job, Boston Celtics!”
Obviously, when a team like [the Warriors], especially a team that has a winning mentality, they’re going to get ready, to go watch the film, to practice and come out and set the tone.
I didn’t know that happened but now that you were saying that, it makes sense why starting the game, they played really hard. They moved the ball really well. Everybody was involved. They were guarding. They were talking. They were on the same page.”
The Warriors stormed to a 78-58 halftime lead.
When the Bucks made a run at the start of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 6 points, the Warriors found their unlikely hero in rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The 57th overall pick of last year’s draft scored seven points and blocked Antetokounmpo thrice — including a sensational back-to-back swat in one play — in the third quarter to restore the Warriors’ double-digit lead and never looked back.
“He’s a great player he’s a load to guard. Props to our defense we tried to contain him,” Jackson-Davis told reporters. “I’ve never faced anyone like him having the length like that.”
‘Next Play Mentality’
Gary Payton II summed up the Warriors’ quick turnaround from their worst loss under Steve Kerr to a statement win against one of the favorites in the East.
“Next play mentality,” Payton II said in the NBC Sports Bay Area’s postgame live. “After that game in that [visitor’s] locker room, we scrapped it. It was a long road trip and it was successful. in our eyes. We let that one [slip away]. Put it behind us and come out.”
Payton said they had a good practice on Tuesday, March 5, after a 3-1 road trip marred by that blowout loss.
“We came out confident with energy and get back to what we do,” said Payton, who contributed nine points off the bench.
Andrew Wiggins Returns From 4-Game Absence
Andrew Wiggins started in his return after missing four games due to personal reasons.
“I had to take care of what I had to take care of, be present for that and then when I think it’s an appropriate time to come back, that’s what I felt like,” Wiggins said after Tuesday, March 5, practice. “I’m back here with the team and ready to get to it.”
But clearly, he wasn’t still ready conditioning and rhythm-wise.
Wiggins wound up with 3 points as he struggled with 1-of-5 shooting from the field in 14 minutes. He added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga led the way as usual for the Warriors with 29 and 20 points, respectively. But it was Jackson-Davis, who saved them from what could have been a disastrous collapse in the second half.
The 24-year-old rookie center finished 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 blocks off the bench. He shot 7-of-8 from the field, feasting on dunks off pick and rolls.