Giannis: No Bucks player should have 'personal agenda' amid 7-game slide

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Friday warned his teammates against any self-serving mindsets after a defeat to the New York Knicks stretched their losing streak to seven games.

"Nobody should have a personal agenda. Nobody should worry about what they want from themselves," Antetokounmpo said following the 118-109 loss, courtesy of ESPN's Tim Bontemps, which also eliminated the Bucks from the NBA Cup.

"Worry only about winning mentality. Winning mindset. The more we can win the games, the more everything takes care of itself."

Antetokounmpo had missed four straight games with a groin strain before returning for Friday's defeat and putting up 30 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. However, a minutes restriction capped the nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP to 28 minutes, well below the 33.4 he averaged in 12 games before suffering the injury Nov. 17 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The former Finals MVP was one of just two Bucks players with a positive plus-minus Friday. Antetokounmpo was a plus-2, while veteran teammate Bobby Portis led the team with a plus-3.

"You cannot worry about one shot or two shots that you miss, which took four seconds out of the game to dictate 47 minutes, 56 seconds of the game," Antetokounmpo added. "So we got to get back to that mindset. We got to get into the mindset that we got to compete.

"We got to get to the mindset that this is not a one-man show, that we have to do it together."

The loss also prevented the Bucks, stuck in 11th, from gaining ground in the East. A victory would have put Milwaukee on equal footing with the Chicago Bulls at nine wins each (albeit with two more losses) after the latter lost to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Milwaukee's seven-game losing streak is its longest since an eight-game skid in March 2014 at the tail end of Antetokounmpo's rookie year. The Bucks finished that season with the worst record in the NBA at 15-67.