Tag: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Report: Sixers to host Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks in home opener

The Philadelphia 76ers will host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in their home opener of the 2022-23 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a big offseason; they brought in quality depth to help their star duo, Joel Embiid and James Harden. The Sixers needed an upgrade to the supporting cast and to replace the depth they lost in the trade to obtain Harden in February.

The moves are expected to vault them toward the top of the contenders list in the Eastern Conference. After falling in the East semifinals in four of the past five seasons, they needed something else to get to the Eastern Conference finals.

Those expectations also produced a tough schedule to open the season. Philadelphia will open the 2022-23 season in Boston and host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the home opener on Oct. 20.

This will be a real test for the Sixers out of the gate. The Celtics, of course, are the defending Eastern Conference champions, and Antetokounmpo and the Bucks won the NBA title in 2021. Both figure to be among the top teams in the league again this season.

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Former Sixers star Andre Iguodala has bold claim about Rasheed Wallace

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Andre Iguodala has a very bold claim concerning Rasheed Wallace and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The game of basketball is played with a much different style today than back in the day, and there is always a debate whether players from different eras could play in other ones.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Andre Iguodala joined “The Dan LeBatard Show” and he was asked about title teams. One team brought up was the 2004 Detroit Pistons, who didn’t feature a true star and didn’t have anybody on the top 75 players of all-time list.

Iguodala had a very bold claim about Pistons do-it-all forward and Philly native Rasheed Wallace. Iguodala claimed Wallace would be a top-five player in today’s game and he would be better than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Here are Iguodala’s exact words:

Rasheed Wallace probably could have been a top-five player in the league for a 10-year stretch. He just chose ‘Ahh, I’ll do my thing over here.’ He was shooting half-court shots left-handed and right-handed. If Rasheed Wallace played in modern-day basketball today, if he played in our league today, he’d be a top-five player. He’d be better than Giannis, and I love Giannis.

Iguodala and the Sixers faced Wallace’s Pistons twice in the playoffs, 2005 and 2008, and Wallace went to work in those series. He averaged 17 points and shot 37.5% from deep in the 2005 series, and he averaged 14.5 points and shot 44.8% from deep in the 2008 series. The fact he is a big man who stands 6 feet, 11 inches, he would likely dominate in today’s era as his game is tailor-made for it.

However, the fact that Iguodala said he would better than Antetokounmpo is a bold claim. Wallace would be a terrific fit in today’s era, but Antetokounmpo is also a finals MVP winner and he does so many things at an elite level. Either way, it’s interesting to think about Wallace playing basketball in 2022.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Joel Embiid, Sixers react to block by Giannis Antetokounmpo in loss to Bucks

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers react to the block by Giannis Antetokounmpo late in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers had a chance on Tuesday night. The Milwaukee Bucks held the lead late, but Philadelphia had a chance down two with 13.2 seconds left.

The Sixers drew up a play for James Harden to get a 3-pointer off. He missed it, but Joel Embiid pulled down the rebound. The big fella went back up with it, but he was blocked by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It was initially called a goaltend that would tie the game at 118 with 1.6 seconds left. However, after a review, the call was overturned and the Bucks walked away with a 118-116 win. The win now gives Milwaukee the tiebreaker in the standings.

After it was all over, Embiid and the Sixers gave their thoughts on the block.

Player grades: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Bucks past Embiid, Sixers

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks past Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Tuesday to host the Milwaukee Bucks looking to win an important matchup. The two teams had split their first two matchups and the winner of this one would earn the all-important tiebreaker in the standings in order to have the higher seed should they end in a tie in the standings.

The Bucks got off to a solid start led by Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Sixers were able to buckle down on defense and rally to take the lead. Philadelphia led for a majority of the second half, but the Bucks were able to rally late in the fourth and they walked away from Philadelphia with a 118-116 win and the tiebreaker in their possession. Antetokounmpo finished with 40 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists and a huge block on Joel Embiid for the defending champs.

James Harden led Philadelphia with a new Sixer-high 32 points, nine assists, and five rebounds and Embiid had 29 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists to lead Philadelphia. Tobias Harris added 22, 11 rebounds, and six assists, Tyrese Maxey had seven and six assists, and Danny Green and Georges Niang had nine each off the bench.

Here are the player grades following the loss:

Sixers praise Georges Niang’s defense on Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Philadelphia 76ers praise Georges Niang’s defense on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in the win.

MILWAUKEE, WI–When one looks down at the box score, one will see that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monstrous game with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. He shot 13-for-23 from the floor and he drilled two triples as he had another ho-hum game for him.

However, when one watches the game, one will see that the Sixers bothered him into a lot of really tough shots and he just made shots because he is that good. The Sixers were able to come away with a 123-120 win over the Bucks as they played just enough defense and got just enough offense from everybody to get it done.

The Sixers went big in the starting lineup as they moved Georges Niang into the lineup in order to defend Antetokounmpo and he did a solid job against him all night.

“Georges is a pest,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He’s a pest to me, he’s a pest to his teammates. He’s a pest to everybody so you use guys like that on guys like Giannis. He just held his own. Giannis is great. Giannis is gonna get points, he’s gonna get plays, but he didn’t get them easy. Everything came hard.”

Niang is not the quickest guy in the world. He uses his size and strength to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor and he was able to bother the star forward all night long.

“I think the biggest thing was just throw off his timing,” said Niang. “A lot of guys let him ramp up and get to his right hand and drive downhill and let him get rhythm. Obviously, you don’t completely stop a guy like that. Just make him take as many tough shots as he had to and Joel did a great job behind me of trusting in our defense and being a wall back there and giving me the opportunity to push up and be the anchor back there.”

Niang did defend Antetokounmpo in the team’s first matchup back in November because the Sixers were severely shorthanded. He was able to draw from that game and he dug deep in order to bother him enough to get a win.

“Last time we played them, I had to guard him, because we had nobody,” Niang laughed. “I’ve had a little bit of experience, but I’m a competitor. I’m gonna go out there and give it my all whether it’s an All-Star or it’s a G League guy. I love the game of basketball, I love to hoop, and when a challenge is presented in front of me, I’m gonna go out there and give it my all.”

With that being said, while Niang was obviously the main guy defending Antetokounmpo on this night, he wanted to give credit to everybody on the roster who stepped up and got the job done.

“The whole team did a great job, actually, so credit to everybody,” Niang added. “It’s a group effort to stop him.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers discuss Paul Reed’s defense on Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss the defensive effort from Paul Reed against Giannis Antetokounmpo.

When the Philadelphia 76ers match up with the Milwaukee Bucks, normally they would turn to guys like Ben Simmons or Tobias Harris to defend superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. In this specific situation, the Sixers did not have either guy or Joel Embiid so they had to improvise.

Coach Doc Rivers went unconventional as he turned to Paul Reed to start on Tuesday and he had him defend Antetokounmpo. The second-year big man was the best defender against him by a mile on the night and he was a big reason why he was frustrated.

Antetokounmpo still went to the line 13 times, making seven of them, on his way to 31 points as the Bucks held off the Sixers 118-109, but Reed frustrated him and he even had a block on him early. It was an impressive defensive showing for him in this one.

“He was great,” said Georges Niang. “He blocks shots. That kid works so dang hard. I remember when I first got here, I was like ‘Is this dude really always in the gym, or is this like a front?’ for the first couple days of training camp. I’ll come back and shoot every once in a while and Paul Reed will be coming in right after me.”

With that being said, Reed could have done some things differently. As a coach normally does, Rivers saw something that popped out at him that his young big man could do differently.

“I thought in the second half, he kept playing him on the side, and playing Giannis on the side is like water,” Rivers explained. “He just went through him and that’s what we were talking about, he kept doing it. He didn’t do that as much in the first half. You gotta play Giannis square and make him go through your chest. If he gets you in the side, it’s over, and Giannis seizes the moment. He did that a lot in the second half.”

Reed’s stat line does not pop out. He had six points and six rebounds, but the three steals and the two blocks are what really stand out. For a guy so young and inexperienced to bother a guy like Antetokounmpo on this night was really impressive.

“He works so hard so credit to him,” Niang added. “He has good size to guard guys and he has good instincts for the ball. The kid is walking into rebounds, blocked shots, he does a great job and he’s helped us win a bunch of games this year already.”

Reed will most likely get another opportunity on Thursday against Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 observations: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Bucks past hobbled Sixers

Giannis Antetokounmpo was just too much for the hobbled Philadelphia 76ers to handle in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Philadelphia 76ers were going to have a tough matchup on Saturday regardless of who was on the floor, but it made things much tougher when they had to battle the Milwaukee Bucks without both of their star duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. On top of that, the Sixers were missing a key bench piece in Furkan Korkmaz as well.

The Sixers put up a fight and they pulled to within 60-57 in the third, but the Bucks went on a 26-6 run to end the quarter to lead 86-63 after three. Giannis Antetokounmpo was just too much to handle as he scored 24 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee past the hobbled Sixers 132-94 to win both games of the mini-series. The Bucks were just too much down the stretch in the second half for Philadelphia to keep up.

The Sixers were led by Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton with 15 each off the bench, Seth Curry added 13 points, Tobias Harris added nine and nine rebounds, and Dwight Howard had 12 and 12 boards in the loss.

Here are the three observations from a tough day in Milwaukee:

Sixers vs. Bucks preview: How to watch, TV channel, start time (April 22)

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to bounce back against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to bounce back from two straight home losses as they hit the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. If you’re wondering how you can watch all the action live, you’ve come to the right place. The Sixers hope to have a full cast available as they take on a very good Bucks team.

Philadelphia remains the No. 1 seed as it heads to Milwaukee, but the Sixers are certainly dealing with a lot of injuries. Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry have missed games, and Joel Embiid is playing through his own issues. The Sixers are also playing with some motivation after Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo did some showboating in a matchup in Philadelphia.

Here’s when and where you should tune in to see the matchup:

  • Date: Thursday, April 22
  • Time: 7 p.m. EDT
  • Location: Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, WI
  • Channel: TNT

Probable starting lineups

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Guard – Ben Simmons (questionable)
  • Guard – Seth Curry (questionable)
  • Forward – Danny Green
  • Forward – Tobias Harris (questionable)
  • Center – Joel Embiid

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Guard – Jrue Holiday
  • Guard – Donte DiVincenzo
  • Forward – Khris Middleton
  • Forward – Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Center – Brook Lopez

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Dwight Howard has a message to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks after loss

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Dwight Howard has a message for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks matched up on Wednesday night in a prime time matchup between two top contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers held a 19-point lead, but the Bucks stormed back and took the game in overtime 109-105.

There was a little chippiness in the overtime session as Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made a big bucket in the extra session in order to give Milwaukee some breathing room and he then took a seat at midcourt. The passionate Philadelphia fans were not happy about that and they booed Antetokounmpo to voice their displeasure.

It did not just bother the fans either. The Sixers clearly took notice and Dwight Howard wanted Antetokounmpo and the Bucks know that they saw it and they will be coming for them in the next matchup.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to go and Stone Cold Stunner him,” Howard said. “I already got one tech, it’s basketball. He wants to have fun, but we’ll see these guys again. We don’t want to make a big scene about what he did.”

The Sixers and the Bucks match up again on April 22 and April 24 over at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Those are two games that will be circled on Howard’s calendar.

“We allowed them to get back in the game,” said Howard. “What he did, we can’t control that, but, he had a hell of a game. He made some tough shots at the end of the game, reigning MVP, and he had a great game. I’m not one to talk trash or say anything negative, but we’ll see them again and get different results.”

The Sixers, for now, will have to focus on the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at home.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Oddsmakers have Sixers among next teams for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Philadelphia 76ers are amongst a group of teams to have a shot at Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It is the reality for small market teams in the NBA. They have a tough time keeping some of the game’s biggest stars on their team and at the first sign of trouble, it causes a lot of rumors about those superstars.

That is the situation the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in right now when it comes to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has grown into that status so far with the Bucks being named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and will most likely win MVP as well for the second straight season.

However, the Bucks are currently down 3-1 in the semifinals to the Miami Heat and that has sparked talks that Antetokounmpo wants out of Milwaukee. According to oddsmakers, the Philadelphia 76ers are amongst a group of teams that could add the talented Bucks star.

Antetokounmpo is not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2021 offseason so if Philadelphia were to acquire him, they would have to make a trade for him. The Sixers would also most likely have to move one of either Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid as the fit between those three would be really tough on offense in order to create space. [lawrence-related id=37516,37513,37507]