Ultimately, it was another season in which Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t get past the first round for the third year running.
Last time around, the Indiana Pacers defeated them 4-2. It was a gentleman’s sweep this time, with a 4-1 series win for the Pacers.
After the match, emotions ran high for Antetokounmpo as he squared off with players and Haliburton’s father as well.
But his wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger, became his biggest cheerleader as she posted a collection of snaps on Instagram for her beloved husband after what was a pretty tumultuous night for the Bucks superstar.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Wife Sends a Message After Playoffs Exit
Mariah posted snapshots on Instagram with her kids (Liam, Maverick Shai, and Eva Brooke) as the family sported Antetokounmpo hoodies and strolled around the empty court in the first of 19 photographs. She captioned the post, “To My Husband, Look at this life you created! We love you μπαμπάς. You make us proud every single day. 💛 Your Team.”
Antetokounmpo responded to the post, commenting, “Love you 🤎.” Even the Bucks organization commented, “💚💚💚,” for the lovely pictures. The second picture had Antetokounmpo shooting the ball with his kids, who looked like they were probably running to get a rebound.
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Various pictures showed Antetokounmpo embracing his kids and chatting with his two sons on the court. In another photograph, the ‘Greek Freak’ looks to guard one of his sons and helps the other dunk the ball into the basket by lifting him in the air.
In the last post, she posted a video of her two sons in the stands, applauding their father. It became a heartfelt moment after a challenging series loss for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
But what next?
Is This the Last Roll of the Dice for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks?
With three first-round playoff exits, one must wonder what’s next for the 30-year-old Antetokounmpo. Still in his prime, he could leave the franchise as the situation looks bleak.
Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles injury, which could easily keep him out for a year. In the meantime, most players have underperformed, and his close compatriot, Khris Middleton, also left the Bucks.
With most players failing to show up, Doc Rivers must somehow convince his main star to stay put for now.
As for loyalty, Antetokounmpo’s been one of the most loyal players to the franchise, spending over 12 years with the ‘Deer Nation.’ He earned the respect of the fans, but he could look for a competitive team to earn his second NBA title.
Giannis believes in being humble in victory. pic.twitter.com/GYEXyHoXUu
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks)
In this series alone, Antetokounmpo averaged 33.0 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Most of those scoring numbers came from an efficient shooting of 60.6%.
With little to no support, Antetokounmpo was left to fight a lone war in a losing cause. Only time will tell if he chooses to run it back with Milwaukee but he refused to entertain questions about his immediate future in the aftermath of exiting the playoffs.
