Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks scraped by with a narrow win over the Celtics on Saturday, building a 2-1 series lead ahead of Game 4.
Still, it was Giannis who nearly went off on the officials after the game, teasing how much he wanted to trash talk the refs before conceding that it just wouldn’t be worth the money.
Here’s the quote:
“How much does it cost if I say something, a comment about the refs? Is it $20,000? It’s a lot of money. So, I should not do it. I’ll save my money. I’ve got to pay for diapers.”
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: “How much does it cost if I say something, a comment about the refs? Is it $20,000? It’s a lot of money. So, I should not do it. I’ll save my money. I’ve got to pay for diapers.” pic.twitter.com/xOQKTQVYXi
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 7, 2022
Giannis struggled in the first two games, shooting at a low efficiency and struggling to play like his usual self. Fortunately for the Bucks, they were able to split the first two games of the series.
Game 3 was a different story. Antetokounmpo showed up to play, delivering 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists per game on 53% shooting. He also dominated down the stretch to close the deal and give the Bucks a narrow victory.
All-in-all, it’s more evidence of Giannis’ status as the best in the world.
“How are you caught off guard when you’re facing the best player in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo? It’s no reason to be caught off guard,” said Kendrick Perkins on Giannis. “You know what to expect out of Giannis. We know what to expect out of Giannis since the past 3 years… Right now, Giannis Antetokounmpo is giving me that LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers vibe. Any team that’s trying to come out of the Eastern Conference, I think Giannis is going to be standing in their way. I have the Celtics, I picked the Celtics winning this series in 7 and the reason I said 7 is because I’m actually afraid of this beast, this killa here in Giannis Antetokounmpo.”
Giannis has 12 free throw attempts in Game 3, but it’s pretty clear that he feels like he deserved more.
In Game 4 on Monday, it will be interesting to see if he gets some more calls, and how it will impact the game as a whole.
Either way, if the Celtics can’t find a way to slow him down, this series could be a wrap before too long.
