It looked as though the Milwaukee Bucks were about to turn a corner following their second-half outburst in their Thursday night 123-100 rout of the Utah Jazz. However, the good vibes didn’t last very long for a Bucks team that has struggled so much to begin the year.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Bucks came out flat and the New York Knicks took advantage, dealing Milwaukee its seventh loss of the season in nine games in a 116-94 blowout.

At this point, there is no chalking up this loss to early-season blues. The Bucks look old, frail, and slow — putting them at a disadvantage on most nights.

But Giannis Antetokounmpo is defiant, and he wants the team to keep competing even though the odds may be stacked against them — calling them out for their lack of competitiveness in their loss to the Knicks.

“Did we compete the previous game? Yes. Did we compete the two (games before that)? Yes. Did we compete today? No,” he said, via ESPN.

“If you don’t compete your ass off, you’re not going to win the game. At least give yourself a chance.

“We came to New York after playing great last night. Then we come here and lose by 30. Are you OK with not competing? I’m not OK with that s—. We’ve got Boston in two days. We don’t compete, we’re going to lose by 30.”

The Knicks recorded seven offensive rebounds in the first quarter, which drew the ire of both Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers. They were also critical of the team’s efforts on loose balls, where the Knicks displayed a great ferocity.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to compete,” said Antetokounmpo.

“Teams are not just going to give us games. They’re not going to feel bad for us.

“We’ve got to compete every single possession. Every loose ball, we’ve got to get a body on the floor and put it on the line. But we didn’t compete at all.”

Antetokounmpo finished the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The Bucks recorded 41 rebounds collectively, but the only other play to log more than five was guard Damian Lillard.