Watch- Giannis Antetokounmpo hustles back to pull off the block of the year against the Wizards
Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled off arguably the block of the year during Tuesday’s matchup against Washington. This came in the fourth quarter when Antetokounmpo hustled for a chase-down block on Wizards guard Kendrick Nunn.
The Bucks were up by 15 at the time, and Wizards wing Corey Kispert followed up the block with a putback layup for Washington. Nonetheless, the hustle and athleticism that Antetokounmpo displayed during the game was still impressive. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer raved about the play in his postgame interview, highlighting Antetokounmpo’s competitive spirit:
“His competitive fire, his competitive spirit, it's the best,” Budenholzer said.
“A lot of guys I think don't go get that. Not his physical ability to go get it, but just his competitiveness and the willingness to try. He's very special that way.”
Watch Giannis Antetokounmpo’s chase-down block below:
GIANNIS WITH AN INSANE CHASEDOWN BLOCK 🤯https://t.co/MgEeniGEUz
Giannis Antetokounmpo records triple-double as Bucks cruise past Wizards
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks cruised to a 140-28 win over the shorthanded Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Washington was without starters Bradley Beal (left knee), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Kyle Kuzma (right ankle), among other key rotation players. This gave the Bucks a prime opportunity to inch closer to securing the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and a block on 56.3% shooting. Bucks star guard Jrue Holiday added a near triple-double as well, with 26 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists on 57.1% shooting.
Meanwhile, the Wizards (34-35, 12th in the East) were led by Kendrick Nunn. Nunn finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals on 52.9% shooting.
Following the win, Milwaukee (57-22, first in the East) is one win away or one Boston Celtics loss away from securing playoff homecourt advantage. The Bucks are now three games up on the second-seeded Celtics (54-25) with three games remaining. However, Boston has the tiebreaker after winning its season series against Milwaukee 2-1.
Antetokounmpo downplayed the importance of clinching homecourt advantage in his postgame interview:
“At the end of the day, Boston is a beast, Philly is a beast, Cleveland is a beast, New York is a beast,” Antetokounmpo said.
The Bucks will next play on Wednesday against Chicago (38-41, 10th in the East).
The Wizards will next play on Wednesday against Atlanta (40-39, eighth in the East).
Also read: Kendrick Perkins switches MVP favorites - "Giannis Antetokounmpo is getting my vote for MVP"