NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 27, 2021

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 3: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 113, Atlanta Hawks 102 Giannis

Q. Khris is the first Bucks player with 20 points in a fourth quarter in a playoff in the last 25 years and the only other Bucks player with 20 points in any playoff quarter is also Khris.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Greatness. Greatness. What I saw today was unbelievable. He was freaking unbelievable. Carried the team at the end. Man, like he turned the ball over two times, and after that he was locked in and like "pass me the ball" and we gave him the ball.

There's momenst that is we know when to set screens for him and we know when he wants the ball and that was the moment. We were like, get the hell out of the way, give him the ball, take us home, Khris, and that's what he did. I talked to him a little in the locker room, and what I saw today was unbelievable and for me it was greatness, simple as that.

Q. Eric asked Bobby about the fact that Khris isn't necessarily known for being the most athletic player and Bobby immediately jumped in and said at the Combine, you can measure jumping and you can measure speed and all these things and one thing you can't measure is heart and he has the most of that. At what point have you seen that evolve and change in the work that Khris puts in day-in and day-out to result in this?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I think throughout the whole journey of being in this league for eight years. Like obviously when we're young, had to figure it out, but once we started to figure out, he showed that he's tough and he's going to give everything for the team any given night, every time he steps on the floor. No matter if he plays well, not matter if he doesn’t play well. He’s always there. He's always giving everything for the team. That's a lot. That's a lot.

Q. A couple years ago you told me a story about how you two were both fighting for time. What does it mean that that dude is still with you and he's the one that's closing playoff games?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It's an unbelievable journey. It's crazy. It's crazy we were talking about maybe like, I don't know, maybe like a few days ago, four days ago, five days in the locker room and we were talking about like how long are you going to play for. It was just a silly conversations.

And he'd be like -- I'm not going to say exactly what he said but I told him, "Hey, the day you retire, is going to be the toughest day in my career because like I've been with you the whole time." And it's been an unbelievable journey. It's great seeing this guy, man, the way we started, the way we are, the way he started and the way that he is right now, just closing games. That's what we need from Khris. We need him to be aggressive. We need him to be taking over games, make good decisions, and play off him.

Q. The other day he said he had never seen you make that up-and-under finger ball in a one-on-one setting. What do you see from him in a one-on-one setting? What is it like if you two are playing one-on-one, is it the same thing?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: What you mean, same thing -- hell, no. I'm joking. One thing that it was strange to me, today that I saw from him, we got the rebound and Jrue is on the right side of the floor and I was in the middle. He was like in the left corner, right. He was like, you know, begging for the ball. And I'm looking, I'm like, he's not open, you know.

But like he took the ball, Jrue took the ball, swing it to Pat or somebody, and then he swing it to Khris and Khris like pump-fake, try to drive the ball, did not drive the ball, came to the three-point line, took a step to the corner like almost like behind-the-back board, cash. Like that's greatness to me.

Like he's done that when we play one-on-one a lot of times, and I think one thing that over the time that he got better, especially against me, is that he learned how to like use his body and his shoulders and his stops to like shoot over me. He's really elite in that.

Q. How mad are you when he gets one over the top?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Mad. Mad as hell (laughing). You know, because like he's one of those players that you play great defense and you're right there, and like, okay, I got him, I got him, he can't go nowhere. And all of a sudden, he's just rainbow shot over the top of you, cash. But he's special for a reason, and he showed it tonight.

Q. Aside from the physical stuff and putting in the work, Bud even mentioned the composure. How have you seen that grow. When you get the fouls, Khris admitted he didn't like the calls, frustrated, but turns it around. Is that just experience, being able to block it out and put it aside and not let it linger to the end of the game?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: You know, these days, you get fouls. You know, whatever goes on in the first quarter, first half, whatever the case might be, you've got to let it go. You've got to keep playing the game. You've got to do whatever it takes to win the game. And if you get called by silly fouls or if you turn the ball over or if you make the wrong decisions, you've got to keep playing because that's what the team wants us to do, to keep playing and figure out the way to put ourselves in position to win the game.

But I think he played great throughout the fouls. I don't even remember the fouls, I don't know. Finished with what?

Q. He had four in the third.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Yeah, so I think he did great. He played great. Played through the fouls and it was good.

Q. Early in the game, you guys were down 15 and Bud said that you were in the huddle saying, hey, it's one stop at a time, one stop at a time. He mentioned your leadership. I know you've talked about finding the time to be vocal. Can you speak to that today and what that meant? When did you feel they needed to hear from you so that you could get back in this?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Like I'm a guy, I lead by example, and I don't talk a lot but I talk specifics, you know. And at the moment when I see heads down, and that the game might be going away, I try to remind guys, one stop at a time, one possession at a time. In that way, we can put ourselves in a position. That doesn't mean we're going to win the game but the mindset changed.

Now instead of like, okay, they are up 15, they are hitting all the threes, we can't stop them, whatever the case might be, let's focus on one stop, one possession at a time. And there's moments, you know, that I feel that I have to say that. But at the end of the day, like it's not that I feel like I'm the leader of the team. Doesn't really work like that. The other guys are vocal. P.J. is vocal. Khris is vocal. Jrue is vocal.

But I try to, as I said, not to talk a lot but talk specifics, be specific with my words and throw them out there in the right time because I think it means more and they listen to you.

Q. You were listed on the injured report. What's going on?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I hurt my pinkie (laughing). No, I was just a little bit sore. Banged up from Game 2. That's pretty much it. I was good. Hopefully I get some rest tomorrow and get ready for Game 4.

Q. Everybody was talking about the Nets, how that was their year. How hard was it for you to block that out and stay the course and now you're two wins away from the Finals?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I didn't focus on that. First of all, I didn't know the trade happened. I went to the locker room, locker room talk, James Harden went to the Nets. I try to stay away from that. Obviously I knew they were going to be a very tough team to beat, and one guy, two guys can't do it. We have to do it as a team and that's what we did. It was a tough series but we played great basketball.

Now we just have to focus on one game at a time. Game 4, it's a big game. It's a big game for us, and also for the Hawks. But we've got to do what we do. We've got to keep playing good basketball, keep helping one another. Keep finding each other on offense. And if we make it to the Finals, we make it to the Finals.

But we have to focus on Game 4. I don't care about the Finals. I don't care about the end of the Finals. I don't care about seventh game of the Finals. What I care is about is Game 4. That's the message to the whole team. You have to take it a possession at a time, game at a time, and just enjoy the game and we're going to be in a good place.

Q. How important and big is trust, that Khris can be that guy in the fourth quarter?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I trust this guy to death. If he wants the ball, he gets it. Simple as that. He's knocking down shots. Doesn't matter who is the first guy. Does not matter. We try to play basketball and we want to win games. If Bobby can come in and help us win a game, I'll take that every day. I want to be a winner. I have the whole game to be the guy. I don't care about being the guy in the fourth quarter. Whoever wants to be the guy in the fourth quarter, Khris or Jrue or P.J. or Bobby or Bryn or whatever the case might be to help us win the game, that's what I care about. But yeah, I trust Khris to death. If Khris asks for the ball, better give him the ball.

Q. Trae injured his ankle in the fourth quarter.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: He did?

Q. He's going to get an MRI tomorrow. How do you think that changed their offense down the stretch? You held them to three baskets in the last seven minutes.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I didn't see him --

Q. He backed up and stepped on the referees foot and rolled his ankle. Had to go to the locker room.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I wish him a healthy recovery. Hopefully he's ready for Game 4. Big focal point of their offense. So yeah, as I said, I wish him the best. I hope that he can be able to compete in Game 4. But yeah, the Hawks definitely need him. As I said, he's a big part of what they do and he's tough and he's tough to guard. So yeah.

Q. What was working for your defense late?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Switching. Keeping guys in front. Making them make a play. Not letting them get too downhill and just making them make tough shots. As you see, Huerter, Bogey, all those guys, they tried to make tough shots, playing one-on-one, make tough shots -- that's what we want and we were able to get that in the last five minutes. And we were able to rebound the ball better today. That's why we were in a good spot and we won the game.

Q. You know Khris Middleton better than just about anybody on the planet. Why do you think 38 NBA general managers essentially missed on this guy and he had to wait until the 39th pick to be chosen in the second round of the draft? What didn't they see?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I don't know. That's a tough question. I'm not a GM. So you know, I can't answer that question. I'm really good at identifying talent, but in that case, obviously they made a mistake. This guy is a two-time All-Star, leading his team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Great player, always there. At the end of the day I'm happy that he's on my team, and 38 GMs missed out on him.

Q. What is there inside that guy that you can't be measured in a combine?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Bobby said it best I think, his heart. His heart is always there. Like he's always there. No matter if he's hurting, no matter if he's not feeling well, no matter if he's not playing well, he's always there, and that's his lot.