Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks had a taste of the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, playing in a thriller against the newly-formed duo of Kevin Durant and James Harden. The New Yorkers had to work hard but they beat their rivals with a 125-123 final result.
It was a really hard-fought game that allowed fans to see the Nets going against another contender team. Truth be told, they did a good job with their two stars leading the way against one team they can face in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
After that thriller was over, everybody had something to say about it, including Giannis, who assessed the Nets and their new duo, saying nothing but good things about them and all the things they can do on the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo praises Kevin Durant and James Harden after the first duel of the season
The current NBA MVP is trying to lead his team to the promised land this campaign but the competition will be hard. The Eastern Conference just got better with all the moves teams like Brooklyn, Philadelphia 76ers and more made in the offseason.
The Nets are still the biggest threat for them and Giannis is well aware that unless you are fully focused, Harden and Durant will make you live a very hard time on the floor. Via Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
It’s only been two games, but Harden and Kevin Durant are terrorizing opponents. They are the first teammates ever to score 30 or more apiece in their first two games together. Durant, who was named the East’s Player of the Week and extended his franchise record of consecutive games with at least 25 points to 10, hung 30 on the Bucks. Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday admitted that trying to defend those two gives the Nets’ role players too much room. Joe Harris knocked down five 3s and finished with 20 points.
“This is what they do — they wake up, they come to the game and they score 30,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Harden and Durant. “If you’re not locked in against them, they’re going to score 50.”
This team is a real threat for the rest of the NBA and Giannis is well aware of that. The Nets don’t have Kyrie Irving on the court and they’re already looking scary. Nobody knows what it’ll take for some teams to stop them in the playoffs, but the Bucks were really close to getting the victory at Barclays Center.