Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of the playoffs but there’s no denying he is a clutch player. Stephen A Smith certainly does not think so.
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The Greek Freak missed out on making the Eastern Conference finals by just one game. He was without help and did everything in his power to get the Bucks over the line.
He became the first player ever to record 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a single series. If that does not speak volumes about his impact, we don’t know what will.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player ever with 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a single series pic.twitter.com/nuLx85wUkH
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 15, 2022
He was also ridiculously clutch for the Bucks. Hitting a three-pointer late in game 5 and took over the scoring in multiple games once the 5-minute mark rolled around in the fourth.
There is not a single thing he did wrong in this playoffs, a lack of help meant he could not push his team past the ridiculously well stacked Celtics team.
He also scored 50 in last year’s closeout game of the NBA finals. However, Stephen A Smith thinks its not clutch.
The Milwaukee Bucks took their first NBA title in 50 years Tuesday night, beating the Phoenix Suns in six games. Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 50 points in the win. @WUWMradio spoke with Milwaukee fans about what it means to them. Listen here: https://t.co/nk3KBRVdvC pic.twitter.com/xndDZHNSHF
— NPR (@NPR) July 21, 2021
This might be the craziest Stephen A Smith quote 💀 pic.twitter.com/9PlmmZrOqq
— Old NBA Tweets (@oldnbatweetz) May 25, 2022
Stephan A Smith should give him Giannis his flowers says, JJ Redick
We know Stephen A Smith likes to live on the wrong side of takes. A lot of his takes are simply atrocious and he refuses to adapt or change.
There is also a vehement dislike of foreign players that he hides well. However, not calling Giannis clutch for giving it his all in a closeout game is ridiculous.
The Greek Freak did it all in game 6 of the NBA Finals last year. He had 5 blocks including an important one in the fourth quarter. He also made his free throws!
So, we think it is time for Stephen A to give the man his flowers and we agree with JJ, that clutch does not always mean scoring buckets at the end of a game. It could also be a performance that saves your team.