Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke after Milwaukee’s 127-121 preseason victory over the Chicago Bulls, highlighting the impact of Myles Turner on floor spacing and overall team play.
“He’s a very good player, obviously, a threat from out there at the three-point line,” Antetokounmpo said. “He creates incredible spacing for us. We can hit him in the short roll or in the roll all the way for a bucket.”
The Bucks built an early 35-29 lead, with Turner hitting two threes and Giannis adding four points on a tip-in and layup. Kyle Kuzma chipped in five points off the bench. Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 14 points, including two threes.
Antetokounmpo stressed the importance of communication on the court, praising Turner’s constant engagement. “His voice is incredible. Every possession he’s talking to everybody, talking to me, Scoot, GT, AJ. It comes from being around a winning coach for a lot of years.”
The Bucks pulled ahead 102-93 in the third quarter, led by Turner with 16 points and Porter Jr. with seven and eight assists. Antetokounmpo finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes. Chicago’s Ayo Dosunmu scored 22 points, and Buzelis added 19.
Milwaukee’s three-point shooting drew attention from Giannis, who emphasized its value for the season. “Last year we had one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league. This year we can be even better. We know how to play with one another, we have a great player that creates advantage with spacing and knocks down open threes.”
He also highlighted the effect of cutting and mobility for floor spacing. “A mobile big can cut, pop, or short roll. At times, he sacrifices getting the ball to create an open shot for a teammate. That’s what we want for a lot of our plays this year.”
Giannis pointed to team effort as key for the 2025–26 season. “It’s going to be every night team effort. We cannot be very ISO-heavy. We’ve got to move the ball, throw it ahead, have great spacing, and find the open man. That’s how we’ll win.”
Chicago mounted a late fourth-quarter push but fell short. The Bucks forced 10 turnovers, converting them into six points, while outscoring the Bulls 50-62 in the paint.
