The Milwaukee Bucks were able to take Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was happy to take a backseat to his teammates down the stretch.
The Bucks endured their fair share of struggles early on against the Raptors. Antetokounmpo was proud of how his teammates responded to secure the win,via NBA TV
“It definitely feels amazing,” Antetokounmpo said.”Usually, when things don't go well in the past, the team does great but this year is insane. Even though I don't play well, the team is able to respond and hold their own.”
Antetokounpo added that the bench played a major role in the 108-100 victory.
“Guys are coming off the bench, playing the right way and being a plus for the team. It feels good not to come every night and try to put my body on the line.”
It is no secret that the narrative behind the Bucks' success in the 2018-19 NBA season is that they have been carried by Antetokounmpo's heroics. While having the frontrunner for MVP made them the favorites to win the East, there was still plenty of speculation surrounding his supporting cast. Fortunately, they were able to pick up the slack for him this time around following a solid-yet-underwhelming performance from the “Greek Freak”.
Of course, the biggest hero in Game 1 was center Brook Lopez after scoring a career-high 29 points, which included three three-pointers to help seal the deal in the fourth quarter. Point guard Malcolm Brogdon and Ersan Ilyasova helped provide a major spark off the bench as well. Antetokounmpo will welcome all the help he can get from his teammates as the Bucks look to take a 2-0 series lead on Friday.