It was a tale of two halves for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetkounmpo on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls. Or rather, a tale of three quarters and a massive fourth period and overtime for the former back-to-back MVP.
Despite a valiant effort from a Chicago Bulls side that was missing the services of Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso due to injury, the Bucks ultimately prevailed, 133-129.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Comments on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Dominance
After scoring just 12 points in the first three quarters of action on five attempts from the floor, Giannis looked like a completely different player in the fourth period and overtime. Antetokounmpo knew when his team needed him to be more aggressive, and that’s exactly what he did.
Damian Lillard was a first-hand witness of Giannis going from second all the way to fifth gear in a flash. According to Dame, Antetokounmpo’s slow start actually benefited him and the Bucks significantly:
“I think he was just trying this best to move the ball, because we don’t always move the ball well, so he was playing it almost a little bit passive,” Lillard said of Giannis’ first half performance, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The moment he got aggressive I don’t think they really had much for him. I think how he kind of wasn’t as aggressive from the beginning probably played to his favor because they relaxed a little bit and then it was just like boom, downhill, layup, foul. But, anytime you’re on the floor with a player as great as he is it’s obviously a luxury to have out there.”
Giannis was a freight train and the Bulls simply did not know what hit them. Antetokounmpo turned it on after the third quarter, scoring 20 points in the fourth and overtime.
Talk about answering the call, right?
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