By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Milwaukee Bucks were edged by the Philadelphia 76ers Thursday evening. Recent addition James Harden was not available but Joel Embiid had a huge game leading the Sixers to the win at Fiserv Forum.
“It’s going to be a different team, obviously,” Giannis Antetokounmpo previewed the fresh-look 76ers, “James Harden is going to be on the team in the playoffs. We got to be able to guard him also. It was a good lesson for us. The first time we played them, Embiid and James Harden wasn’t playing.”
Antetokounmpo, 27, produced 32 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block in the losing effort. Meanwhile, the Cameroonian big man awaiting Harden to get in the mix posted a 42-point, 14-rebound double-double plus five assists.
“I don’t think we did a good job, he still had 40. But we competed,” pointed out the Greek Freak, “He played extremely well. But we got to figure out a way to guard him. We got to learn the way to guard him.”
“Obviously we can do better,” he added, “But, man, he’s playing amazing. You got to give him credit. He’s getting to the free-throw line. He’s knocking down threes. The offense is played through him.”
Heading into the NBA All-Star break, both the Bucks and 76ers sit 2.5 games behind the Eastern Conference co-leaders Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. All the makings of a tight race down the stretch of the 2021-22 Regular Season to determine postseason seedings.
“We just got to keep learning from this,” said Antetokounmpo, “They played well. They executed well down the stretch. We just got to keep getting better. Keep building good habits. Now we have a chance to rest mentally and physically with this break.”
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