Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been in the headlines for many reasons this NBA season. There were times where it seemed as if Milwaukee was going to trade him, but it never happened.
Antetokounmpo suited up for the game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. He scored 24 points, grabbed five rebounds, recorded four assists, and recorded one steal. However, the Bucks lost to the Hawks at home by a final score of 131-113.
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With the win for Atlanta, they now have a 32-31 record this season. As for Milwaukee, they have a 26-35 record this season. The Hawks are 10th in the Eastern Conference and the Bucks are 11th in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee is on the verge of missing the playoffs this season. Antetokounmpo has not been happy as of late with the way his team has performed.
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls Out Team Effort in Loss Against the Atlanta Hawks
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo operates with the ball during his team’s game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum on Jan. 23, 2026.Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
(Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)
After the game, Eric Nehm of the Athletic spoke with Antetokounmpo about the latest four-game losing streak. Antetokounmpo made some alarming comments after the loss against the Hawks and said, “At the end of the day, it’s like your spirit, what are you playing for? That’s what we gotta decide. Are we going to wave the white flag, or are we going to come together in the last 21 games and try to play hard and try to make a push?
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Atlanta was the team above us, and a game like this counts for two. I feel like we came out and set the tone. We were shooting 60 percent from the field, but after that, we just fell flat.”
Milwaukee is five games back of Atlanta in the standings. It is going to be extremely hard for the Bucks to catch the Hawks at this point. Antetokounmpo would like to see this team play with pride and win games and not just lay down and quit.
Fans would like to see this team keep losing so it can give them better odds to get a better draft pick, but Antetokounmpo is not thinking about that right now. Once the final 21 games of the Bucks season conclude, it will be interesting to see what his future will be with the Bucks after that.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.