Giannis Antetokounmpo – Photo Credit: Flickr

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points as the Milwaukee Bucks launched the defence of their NBA crown with a season-opening 127-104 demolition of the Brooklyn Nets.

The 26-year old guided the Bucks to victory in the NBA Finals last season. He led an emphatic all-round offensive display that included 14 rebounds and seven assists.

Meanwhile, Khris Middleton had 20 points while Pat Connaughton also made 20 off the bench. Jordan Nwora added 15 points while Jrue Holiday, who left the game with an injury early on, had 12 points.

The Greek professional basketball player was pleased with the way the Bucks turned their attention to the challenge of the Nets after the pre-game festivities. “It was hard — we all were excited to get the rings, and seeing our banner,” said Antetokounmpo. “It’s kind of hard to balance that, to go from that excitement and emotional state to go and play a game.

“We’ve got a deep team. Everyone’s ready to step up and ready to play. We play hard and play together. We just try to build good habits and play good basketball and that’s what we did tonight,” he said.