Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks claimed a Game 1 victory and a 1-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
And the way Antetokounmpo was able to do so — dominating the paint (game-high 13 rebounds) while making the right play consistently on offense (game-high 12 assists) — was just as impressive as his 24 points and plus-23 rating.
That glimpse of Antetokounmpo against the Celtics caused NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins to offer his biggest concern for Boston for the remainder of the series.
“Well, obviously, I have a little concern as far as the health of Marcus Smart, OK? We’re talking about the Defensive Player of the Year and what he brings to the table not being fully healthy,” Perkins said of the Celtics guard during ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday morning.
“But you want to know my biggest concern? It’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak. His dominance,” Perkins continued. “And to hear Jaylen Brown say ‘We weren’t prepared’ and the Celtics say ‘We wasn’t ready for their physicality.’ How in the hell you wasn’t? You knew you were playing against the most dominant player in the NBA. You knew you were coming against the best player in the NBA. And when I look at Giannis, there’s a reason I picked the Celtics in seven games and not five or six, is because I’m afraid of him and what he’s capable of doing.”
Unfortunately for the Celtics, while Milwaukee’s superstar stepped up, Boston’s tandem of Jayson Tatum (21 points on 6-for-18 from the field) and Jaylen Brown (12 points, seven turnovers on 4-for-13) fell flat.
“And, look, he shot 9-for-25 last night. He actually had a worse game as far as shooting-wise, but he imposed his will in other areas,” Perkins said. “Rebounding the ball, his defense, making guys around him better. I am terrified of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s giving me signs of LeBron James when he was in the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers — that you have to go through him and he’s standing in your way. And right now, the way he’s dominating and also being the best player in the game, the J’s (Brown, Tatum) are going to have to step up even more physicality-wise and have to be a ton better if they want to make it past this Milwaukee Bucks team.”
The Celtics, who opened as a 4.5-point favorite, will welcome Giannis and company back to TD Garden for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
