Ousmane Dieng made his first in-game appearance alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks were overpowered 108-81 by the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum.
“It was great,” Dieng said of sharing the floor with Antetokounmpo. “I mean I hope like we end up winning but it was great playing with him for the first time. Really good player like everybody know. I feel like it’s easier. Everybody got to help so you get open shots.”
Milwaukee dropped its third straight game by at least 23 points and fell to 26-34.
With the postseason race tightening, Dieng emphasized urgency. “We just got to be ready every game to play together, do the right thing, play hard and try to get a win every time we play,” he said. “That’s how we’re going to get to the playoff.”
The 24-5 run that flipped a one-point deficit into an 18-point hole changed the game early. Boston shot 43% from the field and hit 20 threes, while Milwaukee shot 36% and allowed clean perimeter looks.
“They moved the ball, made open threes,” Dieng said. “We got to be better playing defense together, do the rotation and contest the open threes.”
On offense, spacing around Antetokounmpo was central.
“I feel like it’s just spacing,” Dieng said. “When he’s got the ball and when he’s driving, everybody got to help. If not, it’s a bucket. Just being spaced out, be ready to shoot and make open shot.”
Dieng, who scored 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting in 30 minutes, said he is willing to adjust his role as needed.
“I feel like I can do whatever the coach needs me to do,” he said. “If it’s guarding the best player, I do. I’ll do whatever he needs me to do. I feel like I can do multiple things on the floor.”
He also described a sideline exchange with Rajon Rondo, who has been around the team.
“It was on their low man,” Dieng said. “I wasn’t supposed to be the low man and I was supposed to let Myles go. It was just an adjustment on that. It’s amazing. I looked up to him growing up, obviously. It’s just amazing to have him on the bench.”
Antetokounmpo logged 25 minutes in his return from a right calf strain and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
“It’s always great when everybody healthy and when he’s healthy, too,” Dieng said. “I hope it keeps it like that.”
Milwaukee hosts Atlanta next, searching for defensive cohesion and cleaner spacing as it tries to reestablish rhythm in the final stretch.
