MILWAUKEE — "What a block from Giannis!" announcer Mike Breen says.
Giannis Antetokounmpo might have had the block heard round the world, and the comment of the Finals.
"What the hell you guys say politely, I wanted to take a tinkle. A tinkle? Yeah yeah, I went to take a tinkle and came back," Giannis says.
But it was Khris Middleton who carried the weight of the team for most of the game, and clutch shots at the end.
"Everybody's tired. Everybody's banged up. Just got to give it your all and leave it all on the court. We can rest and sleep and get treatment after the game. But while that game is being played, there's no excuses of exhaustion or something is hurt. If you're hurt, you can't be out there. But that's all, give it your all," Khris Middleton says.
Middleton now has 15-game tying or go-ahead shots in the fourth quarter and overtime this postseason. Klutch Khris is more than a nickname. It's a way of life.
"We played so many games together. But there was a specific time, I think it was in the playoffs against Toronto. But like he wasn't feeling great.
But he played the game and he gave everything for the team and for us. And you know, that's when I realized, I'm like yeah, this is the guy that I want to be you know, aligned with and I want to go through the journey with, you know," Giannis says. "So, throughout the journey, there was a lot of moments. But that was a specific moment that I was like, yeah, you know, that's that dude, that's the dude I want to build a legacy with and be with him. Just be a part of his own journey and he can be a part of my journey, and you know, do this together."
CHASING A CHAMPIONSHIP: MORE COVERAGE:
- NBA Finals Schedule Set: Here's When To Watch The Bucks
- Street Closures, Parking Restrictions In Place During NBA Finals Games
- NBA Finals Tickets For Fiserv Forum Averaging $750
- 50 Years Later: An Oral History Of The 1971 Championship Bucks
- See All Stories At TMJ4.com/Bucks
Giannis also talked about that now-famous block.
"Just a hustle play. I thought I was going to get dunked on, to be honest with you. But you know, going down the stretch, just do whatever it takes to win the game. Just put yourself in a position that can win the game," Giannis says. "I saw the play coming. I saw that Chris was going to throw the lob and I was just going to jump vertical toward the rim. Hopefully I can be there in time, and I was there in time and was able to get a good block and go down and get two points. So it was a great hustle play."
"In my opinion, it's the best block of all time. Obviously, we're a little biased and you can talk about the LeBron block as well. But as far as a block where he was covering the pick-and-roll, he had to judge where the pass was, where Ayton was catching it and trying to dunk it, above the box, it's about as impressive as you can get," Pat Connaughton says.
Now Middleton has been too polite in Phoenix. He needs to bring his nasty Milwaukee performances on the road.
"I've been playing in this building for two years now. A lot of shots. I guess I've got to get some extra shots in Phoenix and whatnot. But just got to find a way to knock down shots when I'm on the road. It's been tough for me all postseason long. Just got to find a way," Middleton says.
For those that believe in Bucks in six, it's still a realistic possibility.
