The Milwaukee Bucks aren't exactly as dominant as compared to last season and the previous one, leading many to believe that they may be on the downhill trend. But Giannis Antetokounmpo believes that the fact that they are winning close games rather than blowing other teams out is a testament that they're actually “better” this year.

After their 129-125 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, Giannis shared his thoughts on their supposed improvement. Apart from suffering the pain in losing, he believes dog fight-type games help them harden their resolve, something that'll help them in the postseason.

“We know how it feels to be down and we don't want to go back there. Last two years, be defeated teams by 15, 20, by 30. But at the end of the day, that did not make us better. I think when you get in a game every single night and it's a dog fight—you fight to win—it helps you in the long run.”

Last season, Giannis and the Bucks finished with an NBA-best 56-17 record. The same was true in the season before where they tallied a 60-22 win-loss record. But when it comes to the NBA Playoffs, it has become an entirely different matter.

They fell short in six games against the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019 and got upset by the Miami Heat in the second round in just five games last year, although Giannis sat out the last two games because of a right ankle injury.

So it's an interesting comment from Giannis Antetokounmpo. He knows that wins are important, but the manner in which how they achieve victory is even more significant.