It is hard to keep the momentum going in a long-format league like the NBA, and what’s even worse is that after a few bad weeks, both with luck and play, you can see your favorite team coasting south. And LeBron James wasn’t exaggerating one bit when he called the Lakers’ schedule “INSANE!!!!!” What else would you call it when the team has to play 6 games in 8 days? And to make matters worse, their injury list keeps growing. With the postseason approaching rapidly, the back-to-backs have become a major concern for the team. And it’s not just the Lakers who are feeling the pressure. The issue has also crawled its way to the Milwaukee camp, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers standing on opposing sides.

Back-to-backs have become a nightmare, causing major problems for teams like the Lakers and Nuggets. The grind of playing consecutive nights is taking its toll, with exhaustion putting players under immense pressure. As a result, key players are dropped from the roster for rest, leaving the team with a thin lineup. And the consequence? A slip in the standings, and the Lakers have already felt it. But Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t buying into the drama.

“I don’t base my decisions in emotions, I base my decision to my routine. Like my routine is going to be the same,” Giannis said after the win against the Pacers on Saturday. “It doesn’t matter if my three kids are waiting in the car for an hour and a half, or you guys are here,” he added, addressing the media at the press conference. “I don’t care if it’s a back-to-back or three games in a row.” Clearly, that was a dig at the Lakers.

The Lakers’ lengthy injury list is not unknown to any. With Jaxon Hayes joining Rui Hachimura on that list, the team’s center looked feeble. LeBron might’ve been the engine, but when he ended up on the sidelines, the entire weight fell on Luka Doncic’s already weakened calf and ankle. And the pressure didn’t take much time to turn into back pain for the Slovenian. But we’ve seen Doncic; that man just doesn’t give up. He dragged the team to Milwaukee on Thursday, hoping for a win. But it wasn’t the Purple and Gold’s day.

The Bucks easily laughed the matchup with a 126-106 victory. Meanwhile, the Lakers were exposed. Exhausted seemed to have caught up with the Western side in the second half. And although Doc Rivers was proud of Giannis and the Bucks, he couldn’t help but side with the Lakers’ miseries.

Doc Rivers not on the same page with Giannis Antetokounmpo

Coach Rivers addressed the Lakers’ issue in the post-game presser, saying, “They have injuries, number one.” And immediately highlighted their next stop against the Nuggets in just a few hours. “They have a brutal back-to-back, and they play Denver tomorrow, which is crazy.” That was indeed quite a task. Unfortunately, HC JJ Redick couldn’t take his desired squad because turning up the following day was a huge ask. Though the Lakers did play well, it didn’t help with the result.

However, it was not just Rivers who felt the heat of back-to-back games. Even the Nuggets HC let out his frustration after the narrow win against JJ Redicks’ men. “Tomorrow night will be our fifth game in seven days, so that worries me more than anything, is five games in seven nights,” Malone said in the postgame press conference referring to the game against the Wizards. “But when you’re playing against a team that’s already beaten you, that should be all the attention you need going into tomorrow night’s game, in my opinion.” Unfortunately, his fears came true for the Nuggets Nation as the Washington Wizards clinched another victory (123-126). The concern of coaches over a tight schedule is not fear-mongering, to say the least.

So, even though Giannis Antetokounmpo might feel that back-to-backs don’t affect him, he should look to the Lakers to see how they dropped to the 5th seed in the West in just a couple of days. The Western team may not have Giannis’ support, but Rivers did back them. So, whose side are you on this?