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Giannis Antetokounmpo has consistently improved his game year after year, and now has the most stacked resume for a 26-year-old in the NBA. However, he has endured a few losses on his way to the top.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft, and he has since plied his trade with the franchise. Although he had a slow start to his career, he is currently one of the best players in the league.
What sets Giannis Antetokounmpo apart is his mentality. The Greek Freak leaves it all on the court in every game at both ends of the floor. He plays the game with passion, and always strives to be better.
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Ending his team's 50-year wait for a championship, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021. He produced a 50-point series-clinching Game 6 to seal victory for the Bucks. To go with his first-ever championship and Finals MVP award, Antetokounmpo has also received the MIP, MVP (2), DPOY awards, and made five All-Star appearances.
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However, it has not always been a smooth journey for Antetokounmpo in the NBA, as he has endured several significant losses. Here's a look at five of the worst of them:
#5 31-point loss against the Denver Nuggets in the 2020-21 regular season
In the same season where Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 49-point victory against the Miami Heat, the team lost to the Denver Nuggets by 31 points. The Bucks had enough wins to secure the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but on the occasions when they lost, they were by wide margins.
The game ended 128-97, with Nikola Jokic recording a 37-point triple-double. Giannis Antetokounmpo did enough at both ends of the court, registering 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. But he did not receive much production from the bench.
#4 42-point loss against the Miami Heat in the 2021-22 regular season
The Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks rivalry has heated up in recent years. It's been a dog fight between both teams in the East in their quest for the championship.
In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Heat sent home the Bucks in the conference semi-finals, but fell short against the LA Lakers in the Finals. Come the 2021 playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team to a dominant sweep of the Heat in the first round en route to the NBA title.
With both teams dashing each other's championship hopes once in the last two years, the Heat avenged their 2021 exit in the 2021-22 season opener. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were stunned, as the Heat won the game by a 42-point margin. Antetokounmpo led his team in scoring with 15 points, but the Bucks were at the wrong end of a proper thrashing.
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#3 25-point loss against the Toronto Raptors in Round 1 Game 5 of the 2017 NBA playoffs
Giannis Antetokounmpo made his first All-Star appearance in the 2016-17 season. He also won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, which showed that the NBA community started to recognize his talents. Unfortunately, his team did not have much success that year, as they were booted out of the playoffs in the first round.
In a back-and-forth series against the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks were tied at two-apiece after four games. However, the Raptors took control in Game 5, winning the game by a 25-point margin.
Scoring was not a problem for Giannis Antetokounmpo in that game, as he played his part well. But the same cannot be said for his teammates outside of Khris Middleton. Antetokounmpo ended the game with 30 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
#2 39-point loss against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021 playoffs WCS
The 2021 Milwaukee Bucks are remembered for their championship win, but it was a bumpy road on their way to the Finals. In Game 2 of the conference semi-finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks lost to Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 86-125.
It was another dominating game for the Nets as they went 2-0 up in the series and seemingly cruising to the next round. Luckily for the Bucks, the Nets lost another member of their big 3, and Giannis Antetokounmpo took maximum advantage of that. He helped the team launch a comeback, winning the series in seven games.
#1 54-point loss against the Chicago Bulls in Round 1 Game 6 of the 2015 NBA playoffs
Losing in the playoffs is always painful, but losing by such a margin is outright humiliating. Although this loss came in the days before Giannis Antetokounmpo was considered a superstar, the defeat will always be a disappointing one for the player.
The Bucks had an opportunity to force a Game 7 in their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. But they were completely decimated in Game 6. Already down by 30 points late in the second quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo was thrown out of the game with a flagrant foul 2 after he took out his frustration on Mike Dunleavy.
Things went downhill from there for the Bucks as they fell apart. No Bucks player ended the game in double digits scoring, rebounds or assists. Before Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected, he played 15 minutes and registered five points, three rebounds and two assists.
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