In the current season’s comparison, the Denver Nuggets are better than the Milwaukee Bucks. One is sitting at third seed in the West, and the Bucks at eleven in the East. Tonight, those calculations weren’t in play. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and other core players. The Bucks had an upper hand, fielding an almost healthy roster. However, they couldn’t compete. Giannis Antetokounmpo feels it’s because comfort got in the way.

The Greek Freak was satisfied to end the road trip 2-2. The Bucks have won six of their last 10 and have placed themselves in a position to fight for the postseason. That mission gets compromised when the Bucks fail to win a game like tonight. The opportunity was right there with the Nuggets being shorthanded.

“Last game of the road trip, you want to go home, you want to go sleep in your bed. You’ve been on the road for 9-10 days, and you’re looking forward to just going back to your city, seeing your family, and you just want to get over with the game, and you’re not locked in. I felt like some like at times like we didn’t do our job,” he said of the result.

The Bucks had their moments. They led briefly in the second quarter, then fought back to retake the lead in the third. But they could never convincingly hold on to the advantage. The Nuggets responded with electric runs, leaving the Bucks to play catch-up. Giannis Antetokounmpo is growing tired of that feeling.

“Why should we always be playing from behind?” he said.

Over 39 games, the Bucks have only had one game where they never trailed. When leading by 6-10 points, which is a good margin, the Bucks are 15-13. It shows a pattern. Milwaukee is capable of overwhelming its opponents, but doing so for 48 minutes has been challenging.

Antetokounmpo’s message to avoid such lapses? “I’m not comfortable” is one thing he continues to try to enforce in his teammates. But he’s also asking for poise and composure.

The Bucks were a few passes away from winning, says Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks found some solid defensive principles. They limited the Nuggets to 108 and allowed them to shoot under 45% from the field. Myles Turner, who had a strong first half, couldn’t contribute going forward due to a lingering illness. That left Giannis Antetokounmpo stranded. He had to do things on his own.

But that’s not how he sees it. The two-time MVP felt the Bucks got the shots they wanted. They just didn’t have the patience to create those chances.

“I felt like there was so many shots that the guys were wide open and they got the ball like right in their feet or they got the ball up in the air and wasn’t able to, you know, catch and shoot,” he said.

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The Bucks shot 41% from beyond the arc, an amazing conversion rate. However, they couldn’t find a consistent rhythm. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. couldn’t score at the rate they usually have this season, only combining for 12. Going forward, these close games will be crucial for the Bucks.

Their tenacity and grit are showing every game. But they don’t have a glittering roster like many other teams. The Bucks need to make the most of what they get, be it a small lead or making precision passes. Their teamwork is what could separate them from teams loaded with stars and gripping role players.

To do so, they can’t fall asleep at the end of road trips. Giannis Antetokounmpo will feel they should have won. Hopefully, the locker room catches on to this urgency and grows from their positive run.