Despite a dominant Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers in Milwaukee, Wis., the Bucks remain down 2-1 in the series, and the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade speculation is only heating up.
The Bucks’ 117-101 victory at home was anything but easy. It relied on Herculean efforts from two players, not necessarily the duo that fans expected. Antetokounmpo was obvious; he had 37 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists on a 73% shooting night.
In fact, Antetokounmpo has been putting up these numbers throughout the series. Game 1 saw the Greek Freak score 36 points and 12 boards on 60% shooting. In Game 2, Antetokounmpo recorded 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 70% shooting. He has simply been superhuman in this first-round series.
But the question that looms after every Antetokounmpo performance remains: Will the former MVP be in a Bucks jersey this time next year?
Giannis Antetokounmpo Predicted To Stay in the East
The Brooklyn Nets have emerged as frontrunners to land Antetokounmpo if the Bucks’ playoff campaign falls flat. Odds currently place Brooklyn at -200 to acquire Antetokounmpo if he is traded.
Following the Nets are the San Antonio Spurs (+325), the Los Angeles Lakers (+450), the Miami Heat (+500), and the Toronto Raptors (+1600). Fans will be glad to hear that the top contender for the Greek Freak is an Eastern Conference team, as the West seems to already have a firepower overload in terms of superstars and superteams.
The Nets are a reasonable landing place for Antetokounmpo. They boast a young core, draft capital, and are likely eager to return to contention post the failed superteam experiment of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
However, trade odds should always be taken with a grain of salt. For Bucks fans, nothing is more important right now than the series, and Milwaukee still remains the underdog in it.
Damian Lillard Falls Flat While Gary Trent Jr. Explodes
What made the Bucks’ Game 3 victory even more telling of the team’s status was Damian Lillard’s near-radio silence performance, whom Milwaukee acquired with the full intention of being the Bucks’ postseason closer.
Instead, Lillard managed just seven points, three rebounds, and five assists in Game 3 — numbers that seem to be more of a role player than a superstar.
The unexpected hero in Game 3 was Gary Trent Jr., who exploded for 37 points on 65% shooting. This was the postseason performance of a lifetime for the Bucks guard, who helped his team stave off a 3-0 series deficit. It remains to be seen if the Bucks can capitalize on this small ray of hope to take control of the series.
