"I don't forget things": Giannis Antetokounmpo, after crushing the Knicks

Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged that the victory of the Milwaukee Bucks by 121-111 against the New York Knicks had a special taste. Not so much for the result itself, but for what happened the previous year when the Knicks swept the Bucks in all three regular-season matchups, with an average margin of 22 points.

"They were much better than us last year, and we didn't make it hard for them," said Antetokounmpo after scoring 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. "It was very easy, in my opinion. And as the team leader, I remember. I don't forget things, and from early on in training, I tried to set the tone and remind my teammates that they swept us last year."

Milwaukee had a tough time against the top teams in the East: 0-9 against Cleveland, Boston, and New York. But on Tuesday, the script changed. The Bucks came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half to secure a characterful victory, driven by a third quarter dominated by Antetokounmpo, who scored 14 points and provided four assists in that stretch.

In a sequence that energized the crowd, the Greek star blocked an attempt by Mikal Bridges and finished the play with a powerful dunk on the other end. As he returned down the court, he pointed to himself and sent a message to the stands: "This is my city. I love it when it's tough. When things get tough, that's when I perform the best."

Antetokounmpo also became the first player in history to start a season with at least 30 points and a 60% shooting percentage in each of his first four games. He later clarified that his gestures and words had no deeper meaning than the competitive moment.

NBA Rumors

During the summer, Antetokounmpo's name was linked to the Knicks after an ESPN report suggested that New York was the only destination outside of Milwaukee that the Greek star would have considered. However, discussions between both teams did not progress.

Asked about those rumors, Giannis preferred to focus on the present: "What matters now is that we have a game in two days against Golden State. We need to stay focused and try to get two consecutive victories."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "No me olvido de las cosas": Giannis Antetokounmpo, tras aplastar a los Knicks