"No matter what I feel, emotions are for movies, not for basketball" - 6-time All-Star gives damning reflection of his mood following Bucks' loss to the Boston Celtics

Without Khris Middleton, the Boston Celtics have been throwing the kitchen sink at Giannis Antetokounmpo. [Photo: NBA.com]

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks looked like they were going to grab a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Celtics when they had a 11-point lead. However, behind a vintage performance from Al Horford and Jayson Tatum’s brilliance, Boston rallied to win Game 4 and tie the series at two apiece.

“The Greek Freak” was dominant yet again, finishing with 34 points, 18 rebounds and five assists. As usual, the Celtics threw the kitchen sink at the six-time All-Star and he still almost managed to carry his team to victory.

When asked about his reaction to the hugely disappointing loss in a postgame interview, Antetokounmpo firmly replied (via Ben Golliver):

“The thing about playoffs: You win, you feel great, you lose, you feel terrible… No matter what I feel, emotions are for movies, not for basketball.”

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo after Game 4 loss to Celtics: "The thing about the playoffs: You win, you feel great, you lose, you feel terrible. ... No matter what I feel, emotions are for movies, not for basketball."

Giannis spoke like a true champ who has been through the wringer of the NBA playoffs in the last several years. No one in the Milwaukee Bucks has been as engaged and as dedicated as the Greek and yet he keeps an even keel most of the time.

Antetokounmpo may have also been referring to the in-between-game type of “emotionless” feeling. On the court, he consistently shows how passionate he is about the team and his teammates’ performance.

There is no quit in him and it shows in his usual outbursts of enthusiasm and celebration.

Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight:

34 Points
18 Rebounds
5 Assists

Tough L https://t.co/xdb0KOkaXj

Antetokounmpo’s emotion-filled performance was evident in the third quarter when he posterized Boston Celtics big man Al Horford. The Greek superstar punctuated his highlight play by staring down Horford.

The Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics series is back to square one

The Boston Celtics have regained home court advantage after a crucial win on the road against the defending champs. [Photo: Bleacher Report]

The defending champions, even without Khris Middleton, are still in contention to win back-to-back titles. With the series tied at 2-2, Milwaukee will make one more attempt to win at TD Garden to keep up the pressure on the second-seeded Celtics.

Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks trailed the Phoenix Suns 0-2 in the 2021 NBA Finals but had the poise and tenacity to shut down Phoenix the rest of the way. Winning on the road in the postseason is not easy, particularly without Middleton, but the Bucks have shown they’re up to the task.

All tied up ✅ #CELTICSWIN https://t.co/p2E5trGhdW

The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, have shown resilience and toughness over the past three months. On paper, they will have the advantage as all they have to do is defend their home floor starting Game 5.

This is a hard-fought, physical and no-holds-barred series where the rightful winners will be hard-pressed to keep their emotions in check, movies or not.