"Against the team that knocked Kevin Du-can't off that throne" - Skip Bayless claims Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to prove his mettle against Boston Celtics' defense
Skip Bayless has stated that Giannis Antetokounmpo could cement his place as the best player if he is able to beat Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals.
The 70-year-old had placed Kevin Durant at the top of his list, but post his unceremonious exit to the Celtics in the first round, Bayless feels that Antetokounmpo could take KD's place if he wins the series.
The Greek Freak led the Milwaukee Bucks from the front in their 4-1 win in the first round over the Chicago Bulls. However, the Celtics are going to bring a much bigger challenge and playing without Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo will certainly have to be at his best if the Bucks are to advance into the next round.
Bayless took to Twitter, where he shed light on how important this series is to Giannis Anteotokunmpo. His tweet read:
"Now Giannis has an opportunity to prove HE'S The Best Player on the Planet ... against the team that knocked Kevin Du-can't off that throne. Giannis probably won't have his closer, Khris Middleton. I'll be watching. Closely."
Now Giannis has an opportunity to prove HE'S The Best Player on the Planet ... against the team that knocked Kevin Du-can't off that throne. Giannis probably won't have his closer, Khris Middleton. I'll be watching. Closely.
Bayless is one of the most renowned faces on television. He is not afraid to be critical of players for their poor performances, and he once again proved that after slamming Kevin Durant for his failure against the Celtics.
Bayless stated that he is going to closely watch the series, which means that Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to be prepared for any form of criticism in case of a setback.
The Greek Freak is in stellar form and is getting the job done on both ends of the floor and this helped the Bucks dominate the Bulls in the first-round series. He will certainly face a lot more resistance against the Celtics as they are one of the best defensive units in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his dominance on the court and he will have to use that as it seems to be the only way to break down the resilient Celtics defense.
Bucks vs Celtics
Giannis vs Tatum
Who you got? 🔥 https://t.co/ZkGBWG2uc8
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks to a closeout win over the Bulls
The Bucks came into Game 5 with a 3-1 lead and were dominant in the series. They started in style by scoring 34 points in the first quarter. Their dominance there was due to the brilliance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 15 points there while making all five of his shots. This set the tone for the Bucks as they kept scoring buckets and made things difficult for the Bulls.
@Giannis_An34 powered the @Bucks to the Game 5 victory scoring 33 points while shooting 73% from the field!💪 @Giannis_An34 powered the @Bucks to the Game 5 victory scoring 33 points while shooting 73% from the field!
With their win tonight the Bucks advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals! #FearTheDeer
BUCKS vs. CELTICS GAME 1: Sun. 1pm/et on ABC https://t.co/M7PCU3Wkpl
To add to their misery, the team were without Zach LaVine, who is one of their key players. The Bulls were outplayed in every quarter and even DeMar DeRozan couldn't help them out this time around. He managed to score only 11 points, while taking only 10 shots in the game. This indicates how good the Bucks were on the defensive end of the floor.
FINAL SCORE THREAD 
🏀 FINAL SCORE THREAD 🏀
Giannis set the tone from tip-off, scoring 15 of his 33 points in Q1 to power the @Bucks to the win to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals! #FearTheDeer
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 33 PTS (11-15 FGM), 9 REB
Bobby Portis: 14 PTS, 17 REB https://t.co/8BMfw4FPId
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 33 points in just 30 minutes of action. Pat Connaughton added 20 points off the bench to make things easier for the Bucks, who prevailed with a 116-100 win and bagged the first-round series 4-1.