Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo played a key role in leading his team to a 105-101 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. With 39.2 seconds to go and the score tied at 101, Antetokounmpo blocked James from behind.
The star player also got the turnover to get a steal with 1.5 seconds remaining to secure the win.
“Down the stretch, I just wanted to take the challenge,” Antetokounmpo said. “I wanted to stay in front of him as best I could. Because you knew that he’s going to make a play. He’s not going to pass it. And it worked out in my favor.”
Antetokounmpo scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and said they can not afford to be complacent after having a decent run recently.
“We’re playing well, right? So we cannot be comfortable,” Antetokounmpo said. “We can’t be complacent right now. We got to keep on pushing, pushing our envelope, put our foot in the pedal and keep on moving forward.”
After the match, Antetokounmpo asked Lakers veteran LeBron James for his jersey.
“You never know,” Antetokounmpo said. “Might be our last game against one another.”
He added, “It means a lot to me. I think he’s a blueprint for every athlete, not just basketball athlete. Being able to be consistent for 23 years. Available. Be a winner. Lead by example. It’s incredible. And any opportunity I have to be around greatness and compete against greatness, I will always take it. I never take it for granted.
“I have the utmost respect for him and his family and the way he’s carried himself for 23 years. And as I said, I miss going against him. I think he brings the best out of me as a player, and he’s one of the guys that I definitely look up to on the court and off the court.”
James said: “At this point in my career, it’s always great to go against some of the greats. If it’s Giannis, if it’s Steph, KD, James, Russ. Guys that I’ve been either going against for a long time or played with.”
The Bucks will next take on the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
