Giannis Antetokounmpo Warns Other Shooters Against Going Back and Forth with Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant

The Bucks and the Nets met in a demo of their potential EC Finals clash on Sunday night. The former took the game 117-114 even as Brooklyn Nets had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on their starting five. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the clash of the titans from the front and put massive numbers on the board. The game saw various head-to-head sequences between the Greek Freak and the Sniper, which seemed so unreal as Giannis came out on top. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo was all praise for Kevin Durant

The reigning DPOY of the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo, grew up idolizing Kevin Durant. Back in 2011, a teenage fan in Giannis would study KD’s (OKC) game and try to imitate his style.

Fast forward to today, the deer showed no signs of fear against his idol and took him heads on. The Alphabet dropped 49 points to neutralize Durant’s 42-point double-double. The Bucks’ leader could not beat KD’s seven three-pointers, but his FG% of 58.3 certainly climbed over KD’s 16/33 from the field. 

Still, when enquired about trying to go shot for shot against Durant, the humble 6’11” athlete warned everyone and expressed, “Nobody in this world can go back and forth with KD. He’s been one of the greatest scorers to ever play this game. I was just trying to do my job, get to my spots and execute and help my team win.”

In the 2020-21 season, Giannis is averaging 28 points, 11.2 boards, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks. These figures, coupled with his impact on the Bucks’ standing, have made him a contender to win the season’s MVP for the third straight year.

Read Also – Jrue Holiday Explains Why Giannis Antetokounmpo Deserved to be in LeBron James’ Space Jam

Brooklyn Nets eyeing revenge on the Bucks

The battle for assuming the #1 seed in EC is brutal and real, with the Nets just 0.5 games behind Joel Embiid‘s Sixers. Also, the Bucks hold a genuine chance to repeat their performance from the preceding two seasons and claim the hilltop. Given the Bucks and the Nets will again play on May 4, it will more or less decide who deserves a higher rank.

In the post-game interview, Kevin Durant acknowledged the beauty of this rivalry and claimed, “It’s one of those games you enjoy playing in. And hopefully, it’s a better one for us next game.”

The Nets were surely playing without James Harden, but the Bucks also did not have forward-center Bobby Portis to help their cause. Also, Kyrie Irving’s efficiency struggles from the field continued as they lost some chances in clutch time. 

Can the Nets close this series with a win over the Bucks? Help us know your predictions in the comments.