Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard Discuss Bucks’ Loss To Pelicans: ‘We’re Just Not Playing With Pace’

After the Milwaukee Bucks lost their second game in a row, this time to the New Orleans Pelicans, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard spoke to NBA reporters about the defeat. 

The Pelicans beat the Bucks by a final score of 107-100. Milwaukee turned the ball over 14 times 

“We just gotta do a better job taking care of the ball,” Antetokounmpo said, via The Athletic. “I feel like sometimes we’re just not playing with pace. I feel like the more we play with pace, I feel like the more advantage we can create for one another. The more we don’t play with pace, we play against five-on-five, we play against a team that has a lot of length and guys that can move their feet and guys that can get in passing lanes, so the game becomes harder for us.

“I think the more we play with pace, the more the ball is hopping around, the more people touch it, the more people shoot it, the more people are aggressive, I think we turn the ball over way less because you just play. You just play randomly. You just play with instincts. We just gotta get ourselves playing that way.”

The Bucks have nine games remaining in the regular season. They are in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 46-27. 

Milwaukee is fourth in the NBA in points per game, 22nd in points per game allowed and eighth in net rating. 

“I just thought they played more physical, they were the more aggressive team,” Lillard said. “And I think, usually the more aggressive team gets rewarded by the whistle. The game favors that team, and I thought that’s what they had going. … They were able to get their hands on balls. They chased down offensive rebounds, got extra opportunities. They just played a better game. We got outplayed.”

The Bucks are 14-13 under Doc Rivers.