Jayson Tatum nailed a go-ahead three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining before Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a free throw to tie the game as the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-121 on Wednesday night
Thursday 24 December 2020 10:09, UK
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he will learn from his late free throw miss in the Milwaukee Bucks' 122-121 defeat to the Boston Celtics, and has no intention of shying from similarly-defining moments in the future.
The Bucks star miscued on the second of his two free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining on Wednesday, squandering a chance to tie the game in the process.
Jayson Tatum had drained a go-ahead three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to cap his own 30-point night and earn the Celtics a dramatic win.
Antetokounmpo, who signed a five-year $228m supermax extension earlier this month, meanwhile finished the game with 35 points and 13 rebounds.
"I'm upset about it," he said post-game. "But you can't change it. So it's done. Hopefully when I'm in the same position, I can make the next one. That's the mentality you've got to have.
"But obviously there's a little bit of a weight on your shoulders [in those situations] because, if you miss, that's it for your team.
"I'm a winner, and I want to do whatever it takes for my team to win. But, you know, you learn from every situation that basketball puts you in."
In signing his new contract Antetokounmpo quietened speculation of a trade away from Milwaukee or a move in free agency next year.
The decision to stay put also came with an unofficial but undeniable expectation to spearhead his and the Bucks' pursuit of an NBA Championship over the next five years, which will no doubt include tackling clutch plays on a regular basis.
"It's fun, because you learn from it," he added. "The more you're in situations like that, the more you can succeed.
"I want to be in those moments. I want to [have the ball] down the stretch. I want to shoot the last two free throws, I want to shoot the last shot, because if you think about it, if you do that a thousand times, some of the times it's going to go in. Some of the times, you're going to be the hero.
"And, some of the times, you're going to miss. But you learn from it."
While the 26-year-old has garnered a reputation as the most dominant player in the league, he entered the new season with well-publicised room for improvement in regards to his jump shot and success from the free throw line.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer praised his talisman for welcoming a decisive moment in the game, as well as for his dedication to addressing his supposed flaws behind the scenes.
"I love that he's there, game on the line, opening night, going to the free throw line," said Budenholzer. "He's been working on it. He knows how important it is.
"I think it's, again, of course we would love to win, you want to come out, you want to have success, but there's so many good things that happened, including Giannis going to the free throw line with the game on the line.
"You can't duplicate that in practice and he's just going to get better and better as we go forward."
