Just 22 years old, Giannis Antetokounmpo already has a signature moment at Madison Square Garden.
And I’m not sure how anyone was supposed to defend it.
With eight seconds remaining in the Bucks game against the Knicks on Wednesday night and the Bucks trailing 104-103, Antetokounmpo calmly took the ball at the top of the key. He backed down defender Lance Thomas, knowing his 6-foot-11 frame was going to be impossible for the 6-8 Thomas to defend. He showed some patience — allowing help defender Joakim Noah to get dragged away by a cutter — and then stepped back. Gold.
He also wasn’t totally aware of what he’d done until a teammate told him.
“I didn’t feel nothing for the next, like, five seconds, until one of my teammates grabbed me, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow. Won the game? Good. Let’s go home. Let’s get out of here,’” he said. “Feels good because everybody wanted this win so bad.
This is another big step forward for Antetokounmpo, who is already developing into one of the most complete and unique talents in the league at such a young age. He’s a lengthy defensive menace who’s also running the point for the Bucks. We just haven’t really seen anything like him before.
And for the Knicks, well, their defensive issues continue.
