Right here was the environment friendly, dominant and classic Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The Greek Freak” made a bunch of spotlight performs befitting his stature as arguably the sport’s most gifted participant. The 6-foot-11 flying machine soared to the rim for dunks and slammed residence a handful of lobs on the best way to 34 factors on 14-of-26 taking pictures Sunday because the Bucks toppled the Nets 107-96 in Recreation 4 of the Jap Convention semifinals.
He attacked the rim in transition and didn’t accept his wayward 3-point shot. (He made his first one earlier than clanking his subsequent 4.)
In his spotlight second, Antetokounmpo lower baseline and obtained a bounce cross from Jrue Vacation. Antetokounmpo rose and dunked on Blake Griffin, flexing his muscle groups to the gang.
However with all that, the sport’s greatest play he was concerned in got here when Antetokounmpo moved towards Kyrie Irving because the Nets guard was already within the air, laying the ball in.
Irving landed on Antetokounmpo’s foot, his ankle twisting horrifically. Irving fell to the ground, grimaced and pounded the hardwood. Antetokounmpo, in the meantime, ran up-court with play persevering with earlier than the whistle blew and Irving left the sport for good. Reportedly in a strolling boot after the sport, Irving’s return to the sequence is doubtful.
Antetokounmpo was not referred to as for a foul, however ABC’s Jalen Rose mentioned the NBA ought to give him a flagrant foul retroactively for not transferring out from beneath Irving — a cardinal NBA sin.
If Irving is out the remainder of the sequence and the Bucks win, his harm will stand as a history-changing second. Antetokounmpo was concerned in one other history-altering occasion in New York basketball in 2018, when Kristaps Porzingis dunked over Antetokounmpo and landed awkwardly, tearing his ACL and by no means enjoying one other sport for the Knicks.
As a result of a hearth alarm went off at Fiserv Discussion board following the competition, the Bucks celebrity was not made obtainable for touch upon Zoom.
In his interview with ABC after the sport, Antetokounmpo mentioned of the play: “I don’t know — I assumed he bought hit within the groin at first. He went again to the locker room. They mentioned it was a sprained ankle. I hope he’ll be again for Recreation 5, however we bought to maintain specializing in ourselves.”
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned he didn’t learn about how Irving bought harm.
“I’ve not seen the movie,’’ he mentioned. “I do not know what occurred on Kyrie’s harm. I feel I do know it’s a twisted ankle.’’
Requested if he thought Antetokounmpo undercut Irving, Nets heart Jeff Inexperienced mentioned, “I’m not gonna sit right here and say he did [that] no matter occurred, it occurred on objective. I feel it’s simply one thing that occurs all through basketball.’’
If Antetokounmpo nonetheless has the skin taking pictures yips, it wasn’t as egregious Sunday. That’s as a result of he shot much less from past the 3-point stripe. He went 1-for-5 from 3 after going 1-for-8 on Friday to proceed his disastrous 3-point taking pictures in these playoffs.
He’s taking pictures 13 % from past the arc within the playoffs after going 30 % within the common season.
“Giannis set the tone,’’ Budenholzer mentioned. “Giannis had two good video games since we bought residence. I feel his collaborating within the ball motion, both initiating or ending it, he’s simply bought to proceed to make good selections.’’
He mustered three assists Sunday, however might had extra as he usually flew down the lane and made a again cross to provoke open photographs for others.
“Giannis is Giannis,’’ Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton mentioned. “I can say, ‘Beast.’ I can say, ‘MVP.’ I can say a variety of issues. However he’s Giannis. As his information has continued to develop the previous few years, what I’ve seen there’s a variety of methods he can get to the basket and understanding how defenses have performed him is the best step ahead I’ve seen him take. A number of instances he made the appropriate cross and we didn’t knock down photographs for him.’’
Antetokounmpo was a catastrophe in Recreation 2, scoring 18 factors and never making a shot exterior the paint. In Recreation 3, he improved to 33 factors, however was a hideous 1-for-8 from 3-point vary and couldn’t knock down free throws (4-for-9), taking pictures an airball and being flagged for a 10-second violation from the road.
On Sunday, he launched extra shortly on his free throws however nonetheless didn’t make sufficient, going 5-for-10. He’s nonetheless not out of the woods. Now determined and depleted, the Nets haven’t employed a technique to ship Antetokounmpo to line extra. Not but.
