Giannis Antetokounmpo Booed at Home After Bucks Suffer Humbling Loss to Wolves

Posted : 14 January 2026

The Milwaukee Bucks endured a humbling night at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by more than 30 points at halftime, prompting boos from frustrated fans. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team’s two-time MVP, responded after scoring the first basket of the third quarter by giving the crowd a double thumbs-down while sitting under the basket, a gesture he has previously used on the road.

Antetokounmpo’s reaction came after a layup over Wolves forward Julius Randle and a foul that sent him to the floor, coupled with a second goal being controversially overturned following a lengthy VAR-style review. Despite the loss, the 28-year-old scored 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, marking the first time he remembers being booed at his home arena. “Whenever I get booed, I boo back,” he said.

The Bucks were thoroughly dominated by a depleted Timberwolves squad missing Rudy Gobert, who was serving a suspension, and Anthony Edwards, sidelined for injury management. Minnesota never trailed, stretching the lead to 41 points, and Milwaukee’s starters were removed early in the fourth quarter.

Antetokounmpo made it clear that home boos would not affect his focus or effort. “I play basketball for my teammates. I play basketball for myself and my family. When people don’t believe in me, I don’t tend to be with them. I do what I’m here to do,” he said, emphasizing that his commitment remains unchanged despite the crowd’s reaction.

The loss dropped the Bucks to 17-23 on the season, their second straight defeat. Coach Doc Rivers attributed part of the performance to fatigue, citing a grueling West Coast trip spanning four games in eight days. “Just beat us off the dribble all night. I thought we were playing with dead legs… But no excuses. We just didn’t have it. We were flat,” Rivers said.

However, Antetokounmpo rejected the notion that tired legs were to blame. “Were we tired? Yeah, a little bit. But it’s not dead legs. I could have done things better. My effort wasn’t there, maybe I wasn’t as focused as I should. That cannot be an excuse,” he said, underscoring his personal accountability and disappointment in the team’s effort.

The Bucks are set to continue their challenging schedule with another two-game road trip starting Wednesday, seeking to recover from a demoralizing defeat and regain form in a season that has fallen short of expectations.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Booed at Home After Bucks Suffer Humbling Loss to Wolves

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