### Giannis Antetokounmpo Voices Frustration After Bucks' Loss to Knicks

Milwaukee Bucks' star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, did not hold back his disappointment following a significant loss to the New York Knicks, emphasizing his desire for greater intensity from his team. The Bucks' current standing is a disheartening 2-7, reflective of a season marred by early struggles.

After the Bucks suffered a crushing 116-94 defeat to the Knicks, Antetokounmpo was vocal about the lack of effort displayed on the court. "Coming to New York, playing the way we're playing, teams will not just give us games," Antetokounmpo commented. "Teams will not feel bad about us. We have to come out with the mentality that we've got to compete for every possession, one possession at a time. We've got to do a better job competing. We didn't compete at all."

The game saw Milwaukee trailing by as many as 30 points, highlighting their seventh loss in their past eight games. Despite Antetokounmpo's commendable performance, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, and Damian Lillard contributing 19 points, the Bucks’ lackluster offense could not keep pace with the Knicks.

Antetokounmpo did not mince words about the consequences of a lack of effort. "If you're not going to go out there and compete, you're not going to win the game," he stated. "Sometimes you compete your ass off, and you don't win the game. But at least give yourself a chance."

The defensive weaknesses of the Bucks were on full display, particularly in their handling of Knicks' 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored four three-pointers in the first half alone. The Knicks dominated in transition, with a 7-1 steals advantage and outscoring the Bucks 21-8, alongside a 48-41 rebounding advantage.

Damian Lillard acknowledged the overall frustration permeating the team. "When you're in the type of situation we're in – losing games and trying to find yourself, find your identity – I think everybody's frustrated," he said. "You don't want guys in here happy. We got to understand what we're doing and what it looks like when we're having success, and that starts with playing hard and competing."

Adding to the frustration was the inconsistency in the Bucks' performance. After two close encounters with the undefeated Cavaliers and a strong victory against Utah, their significant loss to the Knicks was especially disappointing for Antetokounmpo.

"We played great last night. We come to New York, we lost by (22)," Antetokounmpo expressed. Milwaukee has fallen to a 19-26 record under coach Doc Rivers, a point of concern despite Antetokounmpo's support for their coach. "Doc is doing his best... I give him props on that. At the end of the day, the guys that play, we got to go out there and compete. He cannot compete from the sidelines for us."

Looking ahead, Antetokounmpo pointed to their upcoming game against Boston with a sense of urgency. "We've got Boston in two days," he said. "If we don't compete, we're gonna lose by 30."