A loss sticks with teams. That can go either of two ways. For the Milwaukee Bucks, their low motion during the Orlando Magic game led to them almost forcing a narrative tonight. They tried to swing the ball and get teammates involved. But that doesn’t work when done to achieve ball movement. And it didn’t for the Bucks, who lost their second game in a row tonight being to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The one positive beam as always was Giannis Antetokounmpo. He compiled 30 points and 9 rebounds, scoring more than any player tonight. In fact, the Cavaliers didn’t have a single scorer go over 17. Still, it was them who held a 19-point advantage at one point. Is it because their ball movement was better? The Greek Freak thinks the exact opposite. He feels the Bucks tried to repair their mistakes from the last game when they could have taken one-on-one chances.

“I feel like we had a lot of opportunity to play one-to-one but came you know with the mindset of trying to move the ball more side to side, get everybody involved and I think at times we’re just overthinking,” said Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks had won eight of their nine games before their consecutive losses. In simple terms, it means, that whatever Milwaukee was doing, it got them great results. And rather than staying hung up on wins, Giannis Antetokounmpo wants them to revert back to “keep on doing what we’ve been doing”.

That isn’t overthinking. Because their objective in swinging the ball more was to “create more open threes”. Not only did the Bucks shoot just 29% but the plan didn’t produce opportunities. “We shot what 20-something threes?… We are one of the best shooting teams in the NBA we got to shoot 30 35 40 and the only way that happens is by trusting what you’ve built, your game plan,” Giannis Antetokounmpo added.

He didn’t take the time to criticize his teammates or the plans. From what he has seen this season, the Greek forward is certain his team has the talent and trust to play great basketball. What he wants though is for them to “play free, play with joy um that’s pretty much it”.

Ecstacy for the Cleveland Cavaliers, big problem for the Milwaukee Bucks

While the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t execute their game plan, the Cleveland Cavaliers did so with striking precision. They have a team marred with players that can pop off on any given night. Still, they choose to play their way which is selfless basketball. Imagine winning without either of your best players scoring even 20 points in the modern era?

The Cavaliers have found a way around that giving their depth a chance to shine at any given point. The team has now won 14 straight games and has scored at least 110 points in all of them. They personify what it means to play free as Giannis Antetokounmpo wants from the Bucks.

Because they trust the backcourt of Garland and Mitchell to such a high degree, the Cavaliers manage to work around them. They had 25 assists tonight in contrast to the Bucks’ 17 who were trying to move the ball. Their exemplary display is yet to be countered by Milwaukee, who have lost all four games.

However, there’s a bigger concern for the. The Bucks are yet to win against the Top 3 teams in the East, extending their record to 0-9 after tonight’s loss. These teams have their offense averaging way below their average of 114.6 points. With the playoffs closing in, it’s imperative for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to figure a way around their mental hole.

One of these teams will likely face them. It’s a certainty if the Bucks aspire to have a deep playoff run. Playing with freedom and backing their team synergy could make a vast difference in the way they play against the top teams in the NBA.