Giannis Calls Out Bucks After Loss to Haliburton, Pacers: 'Have to Be More Organized'

Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed some frustration with how the Milwaukee Bucks played during their 128-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA in-season tournament semifinals.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Antetokounmpo explained the Bucks "have to be more organized" in how they play because the "talent level we have is incredible."

Despite having the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks haven't looked the way that most people expected when they added Damian Lillard to the mix.

Their offensive output has certainly improved. They rank third in the NBA in points per game (122.1) and offensive rating (119.8). The team only finished in the top three in both categories once in Antetokounmpo's first 10 seasons (2021-22).

But the defense has completely collapsed, at least through 22 games. The Bucks rank in the bottom 10 in points allowed per game (118.7) and defensive rating (116.4). Their net rating is plus-3.3, the 10th-best mark in the NBA.

Thursday's game against the Pacers was a perfect microcosm of how inconsistent the Bucks have been this season. They allowed 63 points and only shot 43.5 percent from the field in the first half.

Coming out in the third quarter, Lillard made four three-pointers after shooting 2-of-10 in the first half. They outscored the Pacers 43-28 and looked like they were going to take control of the game.

The Pacers came back with a 37-point fourth quarter and got three offensive rebounds in 61 seconds late in the period to turn a three-point lead into a 119-114 advantage with less than one minute remaining.

Antetokounmpo had a stellar outing with 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting and 10 rebounds in 41 minutes. It wasn't enough to hold off a relentless Pacers offense that has made many teams look like they've never played defense before.

There's still time for the Bucks to figure out how to play as this version of themselves, but some of the limitations shown thus far raise questions about what their ultimate ceiling will be.