Tucker: 'I don't know if anybody in the league can stop' Giannis
The Milwaukee Bucks are tied 2-2 in their series against the heavily favored Toronto Raptors thanks to the singular efforts of one man.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is using his second playoff run as a springboard to superstardom, and stopping the 22-year-old is the biggest defensive priority for the Raptors.
Defensive specialist P.J. Tucker broke down Toronto's game plan against the 7-foot Greek demigod.
"We just tried to beat him to spots and not give him room on his drives," Tucker told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I don't know if anybody in the league can stop him.
"It was just trying to play the percentages and make him take tough shots. He probably missed a few that he would normally make. We probably got lucky on a few."
Antetokounmpo is averaging 21.3 points, 10 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two steals, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 49.3 percent from the field in four games against the Raptors. He has been a nightmare in transition and has established himself as the most dominant player in the series on both ends of the court.
Tucker has done the best job out of all the Raptors' defensive options, most notably when he held Antetokounmpo without a basket in the second half of Game 4. But at 6-foot-5, there's only so much Tucker can do against someone with a 7-foot-3 wingspan.
"He's behind the backboard and can still finish the ball," Tucker said. "It's unbelievable. There are times you think you've got him and he's just like, Go-go Gadget arms.
"He's tough for anybody. He has improved his handle and his post-up; he has improved a lot. I think that's coach Kidd just giving him that confidence to go. You see him on the break and the way they run the break, we're getting back. They're like wolves, man. He's pushing the ball fast. That's one of the big things we have to limit from here on out, the rest of the series."