Giannis Antetokounmpo has recognized that when, thirteen days ago, his knee cracked in Game 4 against the Atlanta Hawks, in the final of the East, he thought he would not play anymore in these playoffs … and in the next 12 months. Finally, not only has he been able to be in the three games of these 2021 Finals but he is also being the best player in the series. After his more discreet 20 + 17 + 4 of the first game, he has linked a 42 + 12 + 4 and a 41 + 13 + 6. Y So far he is at 34.3 points, 14 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, 61% shooting. and a good (for him) 65% on free throws.
Very comfortable near the rim, tremendously superior when DeAndre Ayton is not on the court (the Suns have few answers, more with Saric injured), Giannis is giving the Bucks hope and has been the first player, besides Shaquille O’Neal , links in a Finals two games with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds. On the other hand, there is only one who has scored at least 40 points in four games in a row: Michael Jordan. In fact, Giannis is only the sixth to do so in two consecutive title games. The previous ones were LeBron James, the aforementioned Jordan and Shaquille, Jerry West and Rick Barry.
The four of Jordan arrived, that is the morbidity now, against Phoenix, in 1993, when the Arizona team, with home court factor in favor and a Charles Barkley who had been MVP, lost 2-4 because he could not contain a divine Jordan: 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The 23rd scored 31 points in the first of the series and 33 in the sixth. In the four intermissions he went to 42, 44, 55 and 41 points. Giannis takes that comparison with humor, now that he is halfway (two in a row of more than 40) against the same rival, the Suns: “I am not Michael Jordan …”.
Reporter: “Michael Jordan had 4 straight 40-point games against the Suns in the NBA Finals …”
Giannis: “I’m not Michael Jordan.”
He couldn’t believe the stat ???? pic.twitter.com/ujIZh1rveg
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 12, 2021
The Greek forward has been very optimistic after the great game of his Bucks to rejoin the Finals, in the third of the series, the first in Milwaukee: “We improved from the first game to the second and we have improved from the second to the third. We have to keep building, keep believing and playing our game, competing hard and being together. We can continue to be better every time, we have already done it in the previous qualifiers And we can do it again That is our objective ”.
In addition, he valued the experience of being in the NBA Finals above all else, including the final result: “It has been a long road just to get here. To be sitting here answering your questions, to play these games when there are only two teams left alive, to be with my teammates. After thinking that I had broken for a year and coming back… it’s a long journey, I’m going to enjoy every moment, to try to make my teammates enjoy themselves and compete as far as we can. We have almost 20,000 people in this pavilion, more than 20,000 outside … he wants to help my colleagues and that we have the opportunity to win in every game “.
