Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 127-114 win over Memphis Grizzlies

Giannis gets his revenge

After foul trouble had forced him into sitting for much of the run in the third quarter when Jackson Jr. was at his peak, Antetokounmpo came out and essentially grabbed the game by the throat in the final period.

Antetokounmpo scored 17 of his 37 points in the final 12 minutes, overseeing an 18-point turnaround for his team in that period, the MVP won the game for his team and made one hell of a statement in the process.

While live tweeting the game, I shared a guess that Giannis may have been more motivated than usual due to a matchup that probably flew under the radar for most.

Bruno Caboclo came up with a crucial intervention in the final seconds to break up an alley-oop attempt, and ensure Brazil defeated Antetokounmpo’s Greece at the FIBA World Cup. That result didn’t mark the end of Greece’s World Cup, but it was certainly the most damaging result of their tournament as it dictated the lower seeding that led to their elimination at the hands of the USA.

When the game was finished, speaking to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, Antetokounmpo went on to confirm that his performance was a specific response to that moment, with his dunk over Caboclo and the tech he subsequently picked up for chirping at him being the undoubted highlight.

Speaking to The Athletic, Antetokounmpo revealed:

"“I marked this game. When we lost to Brazil, (Georgios Papagiannis) told me he’s playing for Memphis. And I was like, ‘OK, cool. Watch the game.’”"

As if anyone in the NBA needed a reminder at this point, providing Giannis with any added motivation is a very bad idea.