The Milwaukee Bucks needed just one game without Adrian Griffin to find their rhythm again. In their first game following Griffin’s firing, the Bucks defeated the Cavaliers 126-116 on Wednesday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a triple-double in the triumph, which came the day after Milwaukee fired its rookie head coach.

During the Bucks’ defensive woes this season, Antetokounmpo supposedly “lost faith” in Griffin. However, the Greek Freak informed reporters after the Bucks’ victory over Cleveland that he was not accountable for the coach’s dismissal and that he had less influence within the team than people may believe.

Giannis: Coaches are fired; I get paid to block shots.

Even after inviting Griffin to his wedding, Antetokounmpo told reporters on Wednesday that he “loved” Griffin. The Bucks, he added, were still one of the greatest teams in the NBA, despite their defensive shortcomings.

“At the end of the day I trust the ownership decision, I trust the front office,” Antetokounmpo stated. “They have never wronged me before. They’ve consistently produced a fantastic environment, a fantastic culture, a winning culture, and they’ve always done whatever was best for the club and our chances of success.”

It’s obvious that the Bucks’ brain trust did not think Griffin could lead them to a second NBA title in four years. When Griffin was fired earlier this week, Milwaukee’s defense was rated 21st in the NBA, and when Antetokounmpo questioned the team’s defensive approach and amount of effort, ownership became very suspicious. Even as the Bucks’ franchise player, Giannis stated that jeopardizing a coach’s employment is not part of his job description.

“It is my responsibility to play to the best of my abilities and strive to guide this team to victory. I get paid because of this,” he stated. “I don’t get paid to uplift people’s spirits or cause them discomfort. I attempt to do as much as I can to stick to my compensated role of defense and shot blocking.”

The Bucks’ mindset shifted dramatically.

Griffin’s termination may have stunned and saddened Giannis and company, but there was undeniably some joy in their performance on Wednesday. Before the first tip, footage of the Bucks players dancing together on the court suggested that things were going well at the Fiserv Forum, if not festive.

Giannis scored 35 points, pulled down 18 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in 35 minutes, recording his sixth triple-double of the year. As Griffin’s full-time successor, Milwaukee improved to 31-13, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, and is about to sign former NBA champion Doc Rivers to a contract that runs until 2027.