The Milwaukee Bucks blitzed the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, making a strong case that MVP finalist Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves to take home the hardware.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals, but it's his unselfish leadership style that has made him this season's MVP. By Ben Golliver Ben Golliver NBA reporter Email Bio Follow May 17 at 11:19 PM MILWAUKEE — Mere minutes after the NBA announced its three MVP finalists Friday, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he is the deserving winner.
Antetokounmpo’s individual play makes him a worthy finalist alongside Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George. But it’s his ego-less leadership and impact on the Bucks’ offense, defense and culture that sets him apart this year. “Our help [on Antetokounmpo] has got to be great, and then when [the ball] fires out to your man, you’ve got to go,” Nurse said. “I think our level of shot-contesting is another real key in this thing. The 40 threes are going up tonight. That little eight inches closer that you can get — and jump a little higher and contest it a little harder — makes a difference.”
Elsewhere in the NBA, even on very good teams, role players regularly find themselves standing and watching as the star goes to work. Not in Milwaukee, where the ball moves and all five players are expected to pull the trigger. Antetokounmpo is smart and unselfish enough to realize that less can be more: If he trusts his teammates, their shooting will create more room for him to drive to the rim.
Antetokounmpo made sure there would be no letdown, leaving Nurse and the Raptors with plenty to ponder. Gasol, who had his minutes cut in Game 2 for matchup purposes, was dreadful, scoring just two points in 19 minutes. Kyle Lowry’s shooting regressed after a hot Game 1, forcing Kawhi Leonard, who scored a game-high 31 points, back to life as a one-man attack.
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