Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo on Jimmy Butler: ‘I wish I could’ve guarded him more’

By | April 27, 2023
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The Milwaukee Bucks’ season went up in flames after letting another big lead slip in Game 5 against the Miami Heat. 

For the second-straight game, ‘Playoff Jimmy’ Butler flipped the script, inspiring the Heat to a 128-126 overtime win, with his late-game heroics sending the contest into overtime.

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Butler finished with 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals, following up his Game 4 masterpiece of 56 points to send the Bucks packing. 

In Game 5, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer opted for Jrue Holiday — one of the league’s best perimeter defenders — to guard Butler, using Antetokounmpo as help, however the former Defensive Player of the Year, expressed his frustrations at the matchups postgame.

“Yes. Out of respect, you gotta let the coach make that adjustment,” Antetokounmpo said.

“We have our best defender on him. There are conversations with Jrue. whenever he gets tired, I can take him.

“He’s so competitive. He plays so hard. He wants to take the challenge. But at the end of the day, I wish I could guard him more.”

MORE: Coach Budenholzer explains why he didn’t call late timeout in Game 5

As Butler continued to get to his spots and make the Bucks pay, Antetokounmpo added that they didn’t make enough adjustments to counter his scoring. 

“I don’t think as a team we made the right, or we didn’t make as many, adjustments as we could against him,” he said.

The Greek Freak left it all on the floor in Game 5, recording 38 points and 20 rebounds, but his struggles from the free-throw line proved costly in such a tight game, going 10-of-23 at the line.

Milwaukee’s early playoff exit makes them just the sixth No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the first round, leaving them with plenty to think about over the offseason.

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