NBA Notes: Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thunder, Jalen Williams, Magic

Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo came back on Friday and played like Giannis again. Thirty points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes. That part looked fine. The rest did not.

The Bucks fell 118-109 to the Knicks, their seventh straight loss and their longest skid since Giannis’ rookie year.

Afterward, Antetokounmpo went straight to the heart of the problem.

“Nobody should have a personal agenda. Nobody should worry about what they want from themselves,” he told reporters. “Worry only about winning mentality. Winning mindset.”

He suggested the team has slipped into bad habits with players pressing to do more while he and Kevin Porter Jr. were out injured.

“Maybe you think it’s your opportunity to get more shots,” Antetokounmpo said. “But that’s not how you win games. That’s not how you build culture.”

Antetokounmpo also said the Bucks lose focus too easily.

“You cannot worry about one shot or two shots that you miss to dictate the rest of the game,” he said.

Doc Rivers echoed that point. The turnovers, the fouls and the offensive rebounding gap have killed Milwaukee.

“It’s a numbers game, and we have to win that game,” he said. “Especially with Giannis on the court, if we win the numbers game, we’re going to win the game.”

Antetokounmpo was on a minutes restriction and said he hopes to play more Saturday vs. Brooklyn.

At 8-12 and sitting 11th in the East, the Bucks simply need everything.

Thunder

Jalen Williams made his season debut after wrist surgery and gave the Thunder 11 points and eight assists in 29 minutes.

He didn’t shoot well, but he looked like himself, and OKC beat the Suns 123-119 to clinch a spot in the NBA Cup knockout round.

Williams said the biggest challenge was shaking off six months of rust.

“The goal was to get in a rhythm, but it’s an adjustment,” he said. “Trying to adjust to the physicality now was a little different.”

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on another show. Thirty-seven points, including 15 in the final seven minutes.

He has now scored at least 20 points in 92 straight games, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak ever.

The Thunder are 19-1, winners of 11 straight and still haven’t really been whole.

Magic

Orlando needed a win in Detroit to clinch the East group and handled most of the night comfortably.

Then Cade Cunningham nearly stole it. He intentionally missed a free throw, grabbed his own rebound and kicked it to Duncan Robinson for a clean look at a tying three.

It missed, and the Magic escaped with a 110-107 win.

Orlando will now host the Heat in the quarterfinals. Miami locked in the wild-card spot after finishing plus-49 in group play and beating Milwaukee earlier in the week.

Brady Amico contributed to this report.