Giannis Antetokounmpo admits Toronto Raptors defense troubled him in Game 3 defeat
Monday 20 May 2019 10:23, UK
Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted the Toronto Raptors' change of defensive strategy against him was crucial in enabling them to pull a game back against his Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Having excelled as the Bucks won the opening two games of the series on their home floor, Antetokounmpo was limited to 12 points on 5-16 shooting from the floor in Toronto as the Raptors sealed a dramatic 118-112 double overtime victory on Sunday night.
The Raptors opted to double team Antetokounmpo with great regularity, forcing him to give up eight turnovers as he struggled to cope with the adjustment.
"(I) tried not to think about it too much, but whenever I tried to make a play I saw they were showing bodies, sending a second guy there," Antetokounmpo said.
"But at the end of the day I've got to not focus on who's guarding me and keep making plays."
Even when Antetokounmpo did manage to hold onto the ball, he was often forced to give it up to his teammates, who failed to take advantage of the extra space afforded to them.
The Bucks went 14-44 from three-point range, with starting trio Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton and Nikola Mirotic combining for a woeful 3-19 from beyond the arc.
"They were double-teaming him a lot, a lot of bodies on him," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said.
"He's sharing the ball. He's making the right read, making the pass. But we've probably got to shoot it a little bit better, we've got to drive a little bit better."
George Hill (24 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (20 points) made significant contributions from the bench to help the Bucks force overtime, but ultimately Kawhi Leonard (36 points) closed the game in the second additional period for the Raptors.
Game 4 takes place in Toronto in the early hours on Wednesday morning (1:30am) live on Sky Sports Arena.
