Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to Bucks' plans when Damian Lillard goes off the ball: "It's a blessing and a curse"

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks suffered another defeat on Sunday as they lost 113-107 to the Boston Celtics at home. After the game, Antetokounmpo discussed the Bucks' plans whenever they have Damian Lillard play off the ball.

There were times against the Celtics when Lillard didn't play as the primary ball handler. Antetokounmpo explained why the Bucks execute such plays and how difficult it is at times: (Start at 1:32)

"It's kind of hard," Giannis said. "[Damian Lillard] is our primary ball handler. You want to give the ball back to Dame. ... We did it at times but down the stretch was so locked in sometimes to just give the ball back to Dame. So you just got to wait for him to either make a move or open up. I think it's a blessing and a curse at the same time."

Damian Lillard put up 14 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals against the Celtics. He had a rough shooting game, going just 4-of-15 from the field and 1-of-8 on 3-pointers.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks back on a losing streak

The Milwaukee Bucks' struggles continue this 2024-25 season as they received their eighth loss this year going up against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. It's their second straight loss after losing to the New York Knicks on Friday. After Sunday's outcome, the Bucks now have a 2-8 record and are tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics visited Milwaukee and broke the Bucks' hearts with a 113-107 finish. The Bucks seemed like they were about to pull off an upset given the disparity between their scores. Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to make things happen for his squad as he put up a huge double-double performance. Antetokounmpo had 43 points and 13 rebounds matched with 62.1% shooting from the field.

Despite putting up MVP-type numbers this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlikely to be a top candidate for the award for as long as the Bucks remain at the bottom of their conference.

Given that only 10 games have passed, there's still plenty of time for Milwaukee to turn things around. It'll come down to whether Bucks general manager Jon Horst and the rest of the organization can identify the adjustments they need to make.

The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have been nothing but remarkable so far this season. As of this writing, the "Greek Freak" is averaging 31.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. As for Lillard, he's averaging 26.0 ppg, 6.6 apg, 4.6 rpg, and 1.0 spg.