Well, there goes the Milwaukee Bucks' dreams of running the table. It was inevitable that the team's 16-game winning streak would come to an end at some point. That breaking point came against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Powered by an all-around effort, Joel Embiid and co. came into Fiserv Forum and edged out Giannis Antetokounmpo and the former champions.
It was a close loss that ultimately came down to some uncharacteristic mistakes from the Bucks. After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a message on Twitter that shows why he's the best player to lead this team.
We learn and apply those lessons in the future. #BuildGoodHabits pic.twitter.com/we6poDC8TL
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) March 5, 2023
The Bucks held an 18-point lead at one point during their game against the Sixers. At that point, it seemed all but guaranteed that Milwaukee will move to 17 consecutive wins this season. However, James Harden's heroics helped Philly mount a spirited comeback. Giannis and the team had every chance to suppress the comeback, but they were thwarted by savvy play from the Philly bench.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with a monster stat-line, scoring 34 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. It was the Bucks' defense that ultimately did them in, though: Philly put together 48 points in one quarter to overcome the huge lead. That is simply unacceptable defense from a playoff team.
The Bucks' season doesn't end because of the death of their win streak. As Giannis said in his tweet, this loss should be treated as a learning experience for the team. Milwaukee still holds the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the loss puts them at just a half-game lead over the Boston Celtics. The race for the top seed in the East is heating up.
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