Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals Strategy Adopted by the Milwaukee Bucks Against Orlando Magic

With just one game away from advancing into the next round, the Milwaukee Bucks are over the moon. Their 121-106 win is their third consecutive win against the Orlando Magic and has now landed a 3-1 lead in the playoff series. Orlando Magic has not been able to stand against the Bucks since Game 1. It will take a monstrous performance on their behalf to turn this around in their favor.

Milwaukee Bucks for the win

Bucks have not only been the title favorites but also clinched top seed before entering the playoffs. The dynamic duo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton’s performance have played a major role in leading the Bucks to the finish line as a winner every game. Giannis finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Khris bagged 21 points and 3 assists.

However, the Orlando Magic played way better than before in the previous game. There was a constant tussle to take the lead and both the teams were going back and forth. After half-time, the game flipped in the Bucks’ favor. The fourth quarter was especially hard for Magic but they were holding on for dear life.

Nicola Vucevic was pacing the Magic ahead with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists but his output was no match to the Bucks’ beasts. The biggest disadvantage for the Bucks was some of their key players like Aaron Gordon and Michael-Carter Williams were missing from the action. It is very much possible that the landscape of the game would have been quite different with them involved.

Giannis discusses the team’s strategy

In an interview post the game, Giannis exclaimed, “I think we found our identity again.” Narrating their strategy for the game he said, “We just play defense. No matter if we score or not, we’re just going to keep defending.”

He also claimed, “We tried to make it as tough as possible for them and we never lost our composure. On the defensive end, we never took a step back. When they started making shots, we just kept our energy high. And on offense, we figured it out. We played together.” 

Middleton also agreed with Giannis’ statements and explained that their effort and mindset of not giving up was the difference between this game and Game 1. Bucks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer praised the Magic and said that it is their extraordinary effort to beat them that really made the Milwaukee Bucks want to play better.

Even though the Bucks have gathered the momentum they needed to win the series, Orlando Magic never fails to surprise us and can still have a shot at the next round if they bring back their Game 1 form.