BOSTON — Giannis Antetokounmpo experienced presently picked up his dribble and expended fifty percent of a Eurostep when he recognized he experienced nowhere to go with the ball.
As a substitute of making an attempt an off-equilibrium shot or passing to a effectively-guarded teammate, the two-time NBA MVP flicked the ball large off the backboard, then adopted it to the rim for a slam dunk.
“What did I see? I had the ball and I was like, ‘Oh, crap. I’m heading to get caught,’” Antetokounmpo claimed following recording his 2nd job postseason triple-double to guide the Milwaukee Bucks to a 101-89 victory about the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-spherical series on Sunday.
“I threw it to the backboard,” he explained. “I’m blessed plenty of that God blessed me with the means to leap. I had a good soar to go get it yet again and I was in a position to end the participate in.”
Antetokounmpo had 24 factors, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the defending NBA champions swiped dwelling-court docket edge in the best-of-7 sequence. (He does not get an help for passing the ball to himself.)
“That’s just pure expertise, just pure intuition,” Bucks mentor Mike Budenholzer reported. “He’s a fantastic participant. He does issues that are exceptional and exclusive and well timed. That is one of all those performs wherever you’re satisfied he’s on our side.”
Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Bobby Portis had 15 points and 11 boards for the Bucks, who are back at the TD Yard for Video game 2 on Tuesday night time.
Jayson Tatum scored 21 and Jaylen Brown experienced 12 details, but the two Boston stars blended to shoot 10 for 31 in the sport. Al Horford added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who fired up 50 3-tips, generating 18, and shot 33 percent from the floor as a crew.
“Offensively, not our very best evening. I considered we guarded properly adequate,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka reported. “To lose a 12-issue match when we shot so improperly bodes properly for us. In a way it is good to get this dud out of the way, offensively.”
After shutting down Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in a four-recreation sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, Boston could not prevent Antetokounmpo — even with eco-friendly-haired Defensive Participant of the Calendar year Marcus Good shaking off a shoulder harm.
Antetokounmpo scored 8 straight Milwaukee points at the finish of the to start with fifty percent to deliver a double-digit direct into the crack. Boston was in 7 in the last moment of the third quarter ahead of going without having a bucket for far more than four minutes while the Bucks scored 11 of the up coming 14 factors — together with the Greek Freak’s freakish alley-oop to himself that gave Milwaukee a 94-78 lead.
“I can’t do that. I would not even consider about hoping,” Holiday claimed. “He’s obtained a wonderful nickname.”
Boston gained 26 of its previous 32 games in the regular year and was the only group to sweep its very first-spherical playoff series. Now Milwaukee has won four in a row, obtaining won the very last 3 in the initial round to get rid of the Bulls in five game titles.
The Celtics led by as lots of as eight in advance of Milwaukee scored the very last 10 details of the 1st quarter. Antetokounmpo scored the past six of the half to give the Bucks a 56-46 lead at the split.
“This a single must hurt a minimal bit,” Horford reported. “We have an opportunity now to discover from this video game, see how we can be better as a team and occur out and do that Tuesday.”
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