Giannis Antetokounmpo Dominated In A Game 4 Win In Detroit As The Bucks Complete A Sweep

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks entered Monday night’s Game 4 as double-digit favorites, with the overwhelming expectation that the team would advance with a sweep victory over the Detroit Pistons. For a large portion of the evening, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the No. 1 seed but, over the course of 48 minutes, things stabilized and the end result was a 127-104 victory to pave the way for a second round showdown with the Boston Celtics.

The first two and half quarters of the evening were positive for the Pistons, including strong work from Blake Griffin. The veteran forward was everywhere for Detroit, including a throwback dunk.

Not to be outdone, Antetokounmpo got into the act, finishing a dunk over former teammate Thon Maker and executing a picture-perfect chase-down block against Ish Smith.

Still, the Pistons led at the halftime break and veteran point guard Reggie Jackson enjoyed a strong performance with 20 points in the first two quarters of action.

For much of the third, things were still going well for Detroit and Griffin was, once again, the impetus for all things positive. He finished the period with 13 points (on perfect 5 of 5 shooting) and the most memorable moment was a step-back three off one leg.

The haymaker was on the way from the Bucks, however, and Pat Connaughton finished in transition to give Milwaukee the lead late in the third.

In fact, Milwaukee put together an obscene finishing kick in the period, zooming to a 22-3 run between the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth period. When the dust settled, the Bucks led 100-85 and the favorites were in complete and utter control.

Though Antetokounmpo wasn’t the lone reason for their team-wide excellence, the MVP front-runner did score 16 points in the third quarter, providing highlights along the way.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bucks built their lead to 20 points and, in short, things were academic with the snowball rolling down the hill. It wasn’t the fault of the Pistons, particularly when it came to a borderline heroic effort from Griffin on one leg. To honor the star forward, the Detroit faithful provided a rousing eruption when Griffin headed to the bench for the final time.

Milwaukee was simply too strong from top to bottom, however, and the cream rose to the top as a result. All told, Antetokounmpo finished the night with a career playoff-high 41 points (on 12 of 23 shooting and 15 of 20 from the line), nine rebounds and four blocked shots, influencing the game in his typical fashion. In support, Khris Middleton (18 points), Eric Bledsoe (16 points, five assists) and Sterling Brown (nine points, 13 rebounds, six assists) provided strong contributions but, in fitting fashion, the Bucks advanced on the back of their best player.

It will be wildly intriguing to see how the Eastern Conference favorites fare when the intensity rises beginning with Game 1 against Boston. For now, however, Mike Budenholzer’s team can take solace in what was a thoroughly dominant first round showing.