Giannis: Not taking Bucks' 8-0 start for granted

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Milwaukee Bucks improved to 8-0 for the archetypal clip successful franchise past connected Friday night, continuing their red-hot commencement to the play with a 115-102 triumph implicit the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Bucks are the NBA's past unbeaten squad and became the archetypal squad to commencement the play 8-0 since 2015-16 erstwhile the Golden State Warriors began the twelvemonth 24-0 en way to an NBA grounds 73 regular-season wins.

"Great to beryllium a portion of it," Bucks prima Giannis Antetokounmpo said aft Friday's win. "You tin ne'er instrumentality it for granted. I'm very, precise blessed to beryllium a portion of it and being capable to person a squad that we're capable to commencement the play 8-0. But astatine the extremity of the time I'm blessed that we are gathering bully habits."

Milwaukee entered the play with aspirations of winning its 2nd title successful 3 years, bringing backmost astir its full roster from past play for different changeable astatine the title; rookie MarJon Beauchamp was the Bucks' lone progressive subordinate Friday not connected past year's team.

Even though the squad has larger goals successful caput this season, it was inactive capable to admit pulling disconnected a feat nary Bucks squad has done successful 56 seasons.

"Yeah, starting disconnected with that assurance and feeling similar you're gathering the close habits, playing the close way, winning successful antithetic ways, if it's blowouts oregon adjacent games oregon warring back," Bucks defender Jrue Holiday said. "It feels bully to beryllium 8-0."

"We're conscionable playing our benignant of basketball," Bucks guardant Bobby Portis said. "Not truly disquieted astir the extracurricular sound and not truly disquieted astir what cipher other got going on, interest astir what we person going on, holding each different accountable, and effort to beryllium the champion squad we tin beryllium connected a nightly basis."

The Bucks picked up their latest triumph with a operation of beardown shot question to make opportunities down the 3-point line. Milwaukee changeable 44.7% from 3-point scope and made a season-high 17 3's, each of which were assisted.

Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists connected Friday, snapping his streak of six consecutive 30-point games, but signaling the 30th triple treble of his career. Holiday scored 29 points with 8 rebounds and six assists, his 4th consecutive crippled with astatine slightest 25 points.

Together, Antetokounmpo and Holiday scored oregon assisted connected 87 of the Bucks' 115 points.

"Passing the shot creates a batch of energy," Antetokounmpo said. "We were capable to determination the shot -- everybody was touching it, everybody was driving and kicking it, everybody was getting unfastened shots, unfastened looks. And it was fun. Guys were making shots and it was conscionable contagious."

The Bucks big the Oklahoma City Thunder connected Saturday nighttime successful Milwaukee connected a back-to-back successful the latest trial for their undefeated record.

"8-0 is great, but I'm conscionable arrogant of however the squad is playing," Antetokounmpo said. "How we're defending unneurotic and however we're moving the ball. How we're getting unfastened shots. How we're being unselfish and however we're gathering bully habits. Hopefully those habits tin transportation implicit to the adjacent crippled [Saturday] and to the 74 games we person near positive playoffs."