Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have struggled all season, and Tuesday night was just the latest chapter in that saga. The Bucks lost against a Minnesota Timberwolves team missing both Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards by an astounding 33-point margin. However, the most telling moment from the game came in the third quarter.

With the Bucks already down by 31 with 11 minutes to go in the third, Fiserv Forum was filled with boos for their own team. This isn’t a unique phenomenon; fans displeased with their teams’ performance will often boo them, as was displayed by the Dallas Mavericks being treated to this earlier this season. But what followed surprised everyone.

Antetokounmpo went in for a powerful layup, finishing through contact and drawing a foul on Julius Randle. While sitting on the floor after the foul, the Greek forward turned to the home crowd and booed right back, along with two ‘thumbs-down’ gestures.

Antetokounmpo wasn’t wrong to be frustrated, but it landed awkwardly because of the circumstances. This was especially odd considering it came in the middle of a lopsided loss, as well as a season that already had fans questioning the direction of the franchise. After the game, he clarified his actions.

“When I get booed, I boo back… When people don’t believe in me, I don’t tend to be with them. I tend to be against them… But yeah, I’ve never been part of something like this before (getting booed at home) and I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t. But everybody has their opinion to do what they want to do. I’m not gonna tell them what to do and how they should act when we don’t play hard or when we lose games, or when we’re not where we’re supposed to be. And I don’t think anybody has the right to tell me what or how I should act on the basketball court after I’ve been here 13 years and I’m basically the all-time leader in everything,” Giannis told reporters.

However, here’s where things get weirder. Just about two years ago, when the Bucks lost by 16 points to the Utah Jazz, which featured a 33-point first-half deficit, Antetokounmpo was much more reserved, even joking about the circumstances.

“I think we have great fans, but around the league, if you don’t play hard and don’t give everything for the team, there are times where you might get booed,” Antetokounmpo told the media back then. “S—, I’d boo myself tonight too… I don’t remember the last time we were down 33 points in the first half playing at home.”

Maybe losing to a team without the likes of Edwards and Gobert led to the frustration.

Timberwolves Sweep Bucks After 4 Years

Julius Randle led the way for the Minnesota Timberwolves without Edwards and Gobert, logging 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, with solid contributions from Bones Hyland, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels, who combined for 56 points.

By halftime, the Wolves led 76-45, shooting almost 60% from the field and 52.4% from three-point range, forcing the Bucks into 20 turnovers, which turned into 28 points. Milwaukee missed Myles Turner due to illness, and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 25 points on uber-efficient shooting, but it wasn’t enough.

The version of Antetokounmpo on the floor looked more human – irritated, drained, and reacting to the crowd instead of staying focused on the game itself. The Bucks responded in the third, showing life by cutting the lead to 16, but it never got any closer. Minnesota’s perimeter attack let them control the game through the fourth, securing a 139-106 win and sweeping the season series for the first time in four years.

With trade rumors surrounding the franchise, and Antetokounmpo being one of the most sought-after assets in the league, it must be considered how the level of dissatisfaction both the fans and he see with the team might result in disillusionment, and perhaps a potential exit at the end of the season, if not by the deadline come February.

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