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Eric WoodyardESPN
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly did not have a 129-115 loss to the Utah Jazz in the Vivint Arena on Friday night, but he could not help admiring how “simple” the game seemed to them. .
More importantly, the Jazz deserve his respect: Antetokounmpo said they are the ‘best team in the West’.
Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA MVP, finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, after being held two points in the first half – his least in any half this season.
After Antetokounmpo saw for the first time in franchise history that the Jazz had four 25-pointers, Antetokounmpo felt a personal connection to what was happening before his eyes.
“It just looks nice. Like when I watch them play, it looks nice, it looks easy,” Antetokounmpo said. “It seems simple. For sure, they look like us last year, and man, if you’re at that point and playing with that confidence, it’s hard for you to beat.”
Like the Bucks of last season, the Jazz (21-5) have the best record in the NBA. They have won 17 of their last 18 games, with the first win of the series also being on January 8 against the Bucks.
Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles had 27 points per game, and Donovan Mitchell added 26 points with eight assists and six rebounds. Jordan Clarkson got 25 points off the bench.
Ingles said they will take a minute to celebrate the victory, but after that it will be good again.
“I do not think we are just as satisfied yet,” said Ingles, who reached 4-for-4 from the 3-point mark.
This is because their goals are much bigger than the regular season, especially after last season, when they blew a 3-1 lead to Denver and were eliminated in the first round.
“We do not want to be the best team in February; we want to be the best team in July,” Mitchell said.
Being respected in the lead role is still something new for Mitchell and his teammates. As the leaders in Utah, Mitchell and Gobert’s paths to becoming NBA All-Stars are not always written in stone, and they have developed an underdog mentality that has been passed on to the team.
“It’s different in my four years. You look at all of us and every story … [we were] underestimated, “Mitchell said.” I now think we are at a point where people are coming to us, and the way we have responded to that is very impressive. I think there is a lot more we can do to keep getting better, but it does not hurt to be in the moment and understand that what we are doing is quite cool. ‘
The road doesn’t get much easier for Utah, with the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and rugby games against the LA Clippers. Then it’s Charlotte on February 22, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers on February 24 and the Heat again on February 26.
While the emphasis may not be on the regular season, the Jazz know they can’t get around it either.
However, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said: ‘Nobody hits their chest over something we did.
“Honestly, you never want to do that, and it’s never appropriate if you’re not the last team,” Snyder said. “This is something we will try to avoid.”