Damian Lillard had another big game for the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday as they took down the Miami Heat, 131-124. After Lillard knocked down a couple of big triples in crunch time, however, the Bucks opted to turn to Khris Middleton down the stretch.
As it turns out, this was at the behest of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Wanted Milwaukee Bucks to Go to Khris Middleton
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin revealed after the win that he actually wanted to stay with the hot hand after Lillard went all Dame Time on Miami. However, Giannis demanded that Milwaukee turn to Middleton instead, who for his part, answered the bell.
“Down the stretch, Dame hit a couple of big threes and I was trying to get a play for him again, and Giannis was like, ‘Hey, we gotta go to Khris,'” Griffin said. “They’re like twins. They read each other. They have such great chemistry.
“He was right. Khris, down the stretch, really took us home.”
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin gave an update on Pat Connaughton's injury and spoke about winning Group B of the In-Season Tournament. 🔊#FearTheDeer | #NBA pic.twitter.com/ddgmkG6E5z
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) November 29, 2023
As Griffin said, it was the right decision to turn to Middleton in the dying moments of the game. The three-time All-Star hit a couple of clutch jumpers to close out the Heat. In the end, Giannis’ intuition proved correct.
I’m pretty sure Lillard doesn’t mind either. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the Bucks came home with the W. That’s all that matters.
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