On Monday, in the wake of a 21-point victory and a game-high 18 free-throw attempts in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo would accuse the Boston Celtics of going to the limits of flagrant fouling.
On Tuesday, catching wind of the Greek Freak’s comments, Celtics power forward Marcus Morris would quickly look to squash the notion. The outspoken veteran would add that Antetokounmpo’s comments lead him to believe that Boston is “probably getting to him by now.”
Antetokounmpo, routinely fouled because of his dominance inside of the paint, likely is feeling the effects of being hacked on the way to the rim. However, unlike former eras that would see players being mauled inside the arc, the Greek Freak has been fouled hard but not to the point of excess. \
After shooting 18 free-throw attempts (the team had 31 has a whole), it’s hard to argue that the Celtics weren’t making it a point to make life difficult for Antetokounmpo inside but, considering that he shot 76.9 percent inside the restricted area in the regular season and is one of the league’s most ferocious players on the move towards the rim, it’s a wise strategy.
Nonetheless, that Antetokounmpo felt the need to voice the comments does signify that there’s strain from opposing team and that Boston has a chance to get into their heads for the second consecutive postseason.
The Greek Freak’s mental toughness has never been questioned but he’s never had this much stardom and expectation placed on him either.
