Skip Bayless throws major shade at LeBron James while applauding Giannis Antetokounmpo for his 50-piece
Skip Bayless took a sly dig at LeBron James while applauding Giannis Antetokounmpo's career-high effort in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards. Bayless said the most impressive part about Antetokounmpo's performance was that he made 15-of-16 free throws.
The Fox Sports TV analyst used the stats to diss James' free-throw struggles. Here's what Bayless tweeted:
"GIANNIS: I am IMPRESSED. 55/10/7 was terrific - though 50+ games seem to happen every night in the NBA. No, what impressed me most was 15-16 free throws. That you should be proud of. There's a guy in LA ..."
GIANNIS: I am IMPRESSED. 55/10/7 was terrific - though 50+ games seem to happen every night in the NBA. No, what impressed me most was 15-16 free throws. That you should be proud of. There's a guy in LA ...
Skip Bayless referred to LeBron James when he referred to a "guy in LA." The veteran analyst has used James' free-throw inefficiency as one of his key talking points in any debate circling his status as the best player of all time or the best player on any given night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has struggled from the charity stripe during his career, but he overcame those issues against the Wizards. It played a crucial role in him putting up a career-high performance. He bagged 55 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, shooting 60.6% from the floor on 33 attempts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's record-breaking performance was critical in Milwaukee Bucks fending off streaking Wizards
Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to put up a 50-piece when his team needs it the most. The last time he dropped 50 in a game was during the closeout Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals. The stakes weren't as high against the Wizards, but Antetokounmpo's performance was still decisive by a significant margin.
Washington was coming off five straight wins. They also saw Bradley Beal return to the lineup. He eventually exited the game, but the Wizards ensured they remained close to the Bucks' total and didn't allow them to create a big separation.
Giannis' covered for Khris Middleton's absence, Jrue Holiday, and Grayson Allen's off-shooting nights. Holiday and Allen combined for nine points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field. Antetokounmpo went off for 31 points in the second half. That's when the Wizards got back into the game.
They erased a 14-point deficit to cut the Bucks' lead to just two points early in the fourth quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo kept his cool at that juncture. He scored 19 points in the final 12 minutes to guide the Bucks to a 10-point win. Milwaukee was coming off five losses in six games and desperately needed to secure this win.