MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Giannis Antetokounmpo insists he still isn鈥檛 in a rhythm, even as statistics suggest he鈥檚 off to perhaps the best start of his career. Khris Middleton still isn鈥檛 in uniform as he recovers from offseason wrist surgery.
Yet the Milwaukee Bucks still have played well enough to become the NBA鈥檚 last unbeaten team.
The Bucks (6-0) benefited from having a season-high, six-game homestand immediately after They close that stretch Wednesday night with the second of two straight games against the Detroit Pistons.
Milwaukee also has capitalized on a defense that has grown stingier with the return of a healthy Brook Lopez.
鈥淥ur team is definitely the best defensive team in the NBA,鈥� Lopez said Monday after the Bucks鈥� 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something we can do every night, regardless of how we鈥檙e shooting.鈥�
The Bucks lead the NBA in (103.8) and (.423). after that required surgery and limited him to 13 regular-season games last year.
That鈥檚 enabled the Bucks to remain unbeaten even while ranking just 23rd in (.451) and 24th in (.335). Antetokounmpo has said he wants the Bucks to have a suffocating defense as their identity rather than assuming they can beat teams by scoring in bunches every night.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a part of a team like that. The 2019-2020 team, we were a team that scored a lot of points and we beat everybody by 12-13-15 points on average,鈥� Antetokounmpo said last week, referring to a season in which the Bucks posted the NBA鈥檚 best regular-season record but lost in the second round of the playoffs.
鈥淏ut at the end of the day, it comes down to stops, who get the most stops down the stretch, who makes that extra effort, whos鈥� going to dive for the ball, who鈥檚 going to cover for one another, who鈥檚 going to rebound the ball better, who鈥檚 going to get more 50-50 balls.鈥�
That defense has helped Milwaukee withstand the absences of and who also hasn鈥檛 played yet this season due to a strained right calf.
Of course, it helps to have arguably the world鈥檚 best player on your roster.
Antetokounmpo, the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week, scored 151 points in a four-game run that ended Saturday with a That鈥檚 his highest career point total over a four-game span.
鈥淗e鈥檚 what the game should be about 鈥� the way he plays with intensity, his work ethic,鈥� Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not about the frills and the fancy stuff. He just gets it done. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 grown over the years with his game. You could probably trick him a few years ago. You鈥檙e not going to trick him anymore.鈥�
Antetokounmpo isn鈥檛 satisfied.
The two-time MVP said over the weekend that he still doesn鈥檛 have that feeling and rhythm that he usually gets when he鈥檚 delivering big-time performances.
鈥淚鈥檓 still chasing that feeling,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淚 want to help my team be great. I want to be as efficient as possible for this team. I want to win games. It doesn鈥檛 really matter the numbers 鈥� I鈥檓 just chasing that feeling, that hunger where things just happen automatic, like when you trust your skills, when you get to the free-throw line you knock down your shots. It鈥檚 a feeling. I haven鈥檛 had it yet.鈥�
and the Bucks鈥� experience playing together has paid off down the stretch in close wins over Philadelphia, Atlanta and Detroit.
Jrue Holiday is averaging 29.5 points and 11 assists over his last two games and Monday. Lopez has 15.3 points per game
But it鈥檚 the defense that鈥檚 making the biggest difference.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 ultimately what helps you win big games and close out big games 鈥� the defensive side of the ball,鈥� forward Bobby Portis said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檝e really got to keep up. Shots will start to fall, hopefully, one day for us.鈥�
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
