Giannis, hyped

A few minutes into the most important game of his life—Game 3 at home, trailing 0-2 in his first NBA Finals—Giannis Antetokounmpo raised a hand. He was signaling that he needed a break.

He might be the fittest human on the planet; he had barely broken a sweat. But Pat Connaughton checked in because the Bucks star appeared to be some kind of overhyped. (Was he hyperventilating?) The cameras caught Giannis sitting, a trainer bought heat pads for his knees. For a moment, he seemed to be deep breathing. Then he was up, strolling in the hallway that leads to the locker room. In these times, who couldn’t relate to the idea of feeling too anxious.

With 6:04 left in the first quarter, Giannis was once again ready to play. He checked back in, and at first was a bit antsy. But, with his normal rotation obliterated, he stayed on the court—but for a quick rest—until halftime. With Giannis on the court in the second quarter, the Bucks outscored the Suns by 16. They won the game by 20.

As soon as the final buzzer sounded, TrueHoop’s Jarod Hector and David Thorpe met on Clubhouse to discuss what the Bucks did right, and what it means for the rest of the series. Game 4 is Wednesday.

David and Jarod will be meeting on Clubhouse after every game. Join them live! Do you need an invite to Clubhouse? Respond to this email with your name and phone number and we will do our best to help.

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