The Milwaukee Bucks had a much better effort in Game 3 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics on Friday night. While Marcus Morris may think some chicanery was involved, the fact is the Bucks got a well-rounded game from a number of different contributors for the win that got the Bucks on the board in the series.
One of the big narratives heading into Game 3 was the play of Jabari Parker, who expressed frustration after Game 2 that he wasn’t seeing the floor enough. Parker was rewarded with 30 minutes of playing time on Friday night, and he responded with 17 points and five rebounds in the 116-92 win.
Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke to the media after the win on Friday night and were asked by a reporter about Parker’s bounce-back game. But Middleton remembered the reporter from pregame and claimed he had confused him with Parker himself when he asked a question earlier in the day.
The chronically underappreciated Khris Middleton turns the table on a reporter w/ Giannis Antetokounmpo's help.
Middleton: "Were you the guy who called me Jabari earlier today?"
Giannis: "He's the guy!" pic.twitter.com/N9htfP5os5— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 21, 2018
“Were you the guy that called me Jabari earlier today?” Middleton asked.
The reporter appeared to answer no, which made Middleton press a bit.
“You sure about that?” he asked, as the reporter probably wished he would suddenly be sucked into wormhole and transported to a less hostile interview room.
Antetokounmpo spoke up, suddenly recognizing him as well.
“He’s the guy!” he said, which Middleton also repeated. It’s a constant fear to call someone the wrong name, and it may have been an honest mistake. But getting called out in postgame by an athlete is always a risk a reporter takes.
To Middleton’s credit, he did say it’s “all good” and moved on. But it was funny to see two athletes turning the tables on a reporter for a moment. Usually it’s the players on the podium who have to answer tough questions, not the other way around.
